Crimson Tides
by Tweepa
Summary: The power of One For All has failed. In their second battle, All For One wins against All Might. Katsuki Bakugo is taken, and the Symbol of Peace is shattered. The world watches in terror as the League of Villains begins to embrace their new-found power.
1. The Fallen Hero

**The Fallen Hero**

* * *

 **Graphic descriptions ahead. Read at your own risk. The sequel to this work is _The Lost Todoroki_ , one of my other works, but I'll write with just enough backstory on my OC, Teiko, so anyone can understand her.**

 **We're gonna swear, we're gonna get gory, we're gonna kill, we're gonna torture, there's gonna be mind-fuckery. If it's twisted and I can fit it in the plot, you better believe I'm putting it here. I did a romantic tragedy, I did an Endeavor redemption and told of Toya's descent into madness in the same tale. Now I'm gonna try to make you all cringe. My other stuff was cannon-complimentary.**

 **This won't be. I'm gonna wreck shit. Even though this isn't cannon complimentary, there are going to be manga spoilers and some wild theories ahead.**

* * *

 **"You can die full of regrets, All Might."**

* * *

It was a drastic series of events that led to All Might's death. The hero failed to withstand All For One's final punch. "H-his body…" the newscaster stammered from his helicopter, which recorded everything live. Teiko Todoroki watched the scene where her brother, Enji, better known as Endeavor, stood nearby. "I can't believe it. All Might's body has been obliterated. This is your one warning, folks. It's graphic…" The image shook, thanks to the undeniable tremor that had overtaken not only the cameraman, but from the shattered nation. The lens zoomed onto the wreckage of the Symbol of Peace. Blood seeped into the ground where his dead body lay. Blonde tufts of hair stuck out at irregular angles, as if the force of impact had shredded his scalp. Splintered bones poked like white flags of surrender through his outfit, flesh, and smoking remains of his figure. The once strong hero had been utterly lain to waste.

The villain called All For One only fared slightly better. Teiko looked at the faceless silhouette of the gigantic man and felt fear in her core. She trained with Endeavor on a regular basis and they both sparred without holding back. At fifty one years old, she had maintained her physical peak far longer than expected. The red-headed woman looked so undeniably like Enji that she actually owned a shirt that said, **Yes, I am Endeavor's sister.** **No, you cannot use me to get to him.** Surprisingly, it saved her a lot of time when she went out shopping. The former-farmer found herself pushing to her feet, as if she could somehow help. "Don't you fucking do it, Enji," she shouted into the TV. Not only was he gone, but her nephew, Shoto, had left to visit some friends at a distant hospital. He said he wouldn't be back until morning.

 _The timing is too convenient._ She could have kicked herself for her idiocy. Of course Shoto had gone to rescue Bakugo, his stolen classmate. Teiko felt anxious as she waited for her headstrong brother, the number one hero as of seconds ago, do something rash. So far, Shoto hadn't been shown. Surely that meant he must be safe. The villain known as Kurogiri had his body stabbed by dark tendrils and his quirk forcibly awakened. Warp gates opened. All For One grinned into the camera, even as his broad shoulders slammed up and down in breathless pants. "It appears I win. Prepare yourselves for the revolution."

* * *

On the scene, the students had been too stunned by the gruesome turn to mount their rescue. Eijiro Kirishima, Iida Tenya, Izuku Midoria, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Shoto Todoroki had been frozen with terror. Only meters away, Katsuki Bakugo was drug along with the League of Villains to their new hideout. Tears shamlessly spilled from Izuku's eyes. Momo and Iida began to weep next, with Eijiro soon afterwards, though he resisted as much as he could. As for Shoto, he thought he had seen worse than his classmates, but he was wrong. Now, tonight, they were all on equal levels of mental destruction. Kamui Woods sprang nimbly about and wrapped his tree branches around everybody he could possibly detect. First he grabbed Mount Lady, then Best Jeanist.

Tiger did what he could and grabbed the bodies of unfortunate bystanders. He knew one was alive. As for the other…police would have to find a way to identify her body. Edgeshot darted toward the voids, only for a voice to ring out. "Stop, you idiot!" The newscasters couldn't hear, but everyone on the scene felt the cold fury in Endeavor's voice. The warp closed behind All For One. "You'll get yourself killed. Stay back and let them retreat." Edgeshot pivoted at the last moment and barely avoided following the criminals into the dark abyss.

Edgeshot landed on the ground. "I put the nuisance to sleep! They shouldn't be able to get away!" He fought against the impending sense of dread that seemed to have overwhelmed the nation. Tomorrow, when the news spread, the effects would undoubtedly be felt by the world.

"And yet they are," Tiger responded, his left shoulder carrying a corpse. Silence followed his words. One by one, the heroes busied themselves with the task of finding civilians and carrying some to safety. It was Kamui Woods who found the students. It was only thanks to their disguises that he didn't recognize the well televised individuals.

"Are any of you hurt?" It wasn't unheard of for brave, idiotic civilians to get in close. Generally, they were the type of folk that had their phones out and tried to record everything for a quick buck. Izuku stood in place, his body quaking. None of the others fared better.

"We're just in shock," Shoto answered for the group. It was the best response, as it fit their varying levels of terror, anger, and misery perfectly.

"Me too, kid," Kamui answered sincerely. "As soon as you can, get over to the ambulances and get in line to get checked out." They all seemed to be in good health and he wanted to get as many injured civilians taken to safety. He created himself a tether of wood, grabbed a pole, and spun off to continue his search. Gran Torino kneeled beside the shattered, mangled mass that had once been All Might and wept. Not only was his sworn best friend gone, but her pupil as well.

None of teenagers remembered who moved first, or how they got there, but the students complied to Kaumi's wishes. Izuku did his best not to look at the splintered pile of viscera and bones, but Gran Torino's cries naturally called for his attention. He only glanced, but his sobs were renewed. They joined a line of people to be seen by emergency physicians. By the end of the night, they were all deemed to be in good physical health and were encouraged to find somewhere to spend the night, as the trains weren't running. The medic spoke without an ounce of emotion and only went through the motions of his job. He was probably too unable to focus at the loss of the Symbol of Peace.

Everyone had been praying for All Might's victory, but the prayers amounted to nothing.

* * *

Shigaraki was beside himself with glee. The mummified hand nearly fell from his face as he gestured at All For One. "You did it!" His tone sang with disbelief. "You _did_ it!" A maniacal cackle tumbled from his lipless mouth. He carried himself with enthusiasm. " _And_ we got our newest member." Shigaraki turned and beamed wildly at the blonde. Bakugo was stunned. He wanted to put on a brave face, but he was as shaken as everyone else that had faced against the League. He moved closer to Bakugo with his eyes wide and partially visible through the fingers of the dismembered hand. "If you continue to resist us, Bakugo, we can take your quirk and you'll become a Nomu."

Bakugo thought of the attack at the USJ and the incredible power of the hulking black creature. At the same moment, he considered how the beast seemed to be nothing more than a puppet. Shigaraki spoke again, this time to Mister Compress. "Go put him in a room so he can think about what happens to heroes that face against us." Shigaraki seemed to skid over the fact that he had done nothing, that it had only been All For One who had destroyed All Might. For once, Bakugo kept his mouth shut. All For One activated Kurogiri's quirk again and took a portal back to his chair, where he had his personal physician awaiting him. Though he had survived, he still sustained damage and worsened pervious injuries in the intense fight.

Mister Compress did as he was asked and turned the surprisingly silent teenager into a marble. The magician walked past his companions. Though some were unconscious from the fight, others, like the overly enthusiastic Toga, cheered at their victory. There was no need for quiet, as they were in an unfamiliar underground lair. Since the old one had been compromised, the move was entirely necessary. Bakugo was flicked into a small square that was clearly a full walled block cell. Mister Compress closed and locked the door behind him before he allowed the boy to resume his true form. Bakugo didn't even try to stand from the ground. He spent the night on his knees, his red eyes fixed unseeingly at the floor.

* * *

 _The choppiness of this chapter is my way of setting up the different perspectives you readers will be privy to. Expect lots of Izuku/Class 1-A perspectives, League of Villain perspectives, my OC Teiko perspectives, and Bakugo perspectives. If you don't feel I'm doing characters justice, I strongly encourage you to point it out. Generally, I have multiple chapters 'on deck' by the time I post one (even now, only a minute after I've finished this, chapter two is half way done), but I do not hesitate to edit them._

 _Spoiler alerts. I'm writing under the assumption that Dabi is Toya Todoroki. I wrote a full story about his story titled **The Eldest Todoroki**. The tl;dr version of it is that my OC Teiko Todoroki arrives ten years before the anime, when Rei (Shoto's mom) is hospitalized. Teiko unwittingly becomes a 'bad' example (it's all about perspective) to Toya. Because of her telling him not to feel responsible for his family anymore, he frees himself of any duties he no longer wishes to have. Enji tells Toya that he must attend high school - Toya 'flames out'. As a result, the teenager loses most of his skin. His aunt Teiko takes him to a hospital, where she witnesses the snapped teen's insanity and horrific appearance firsthand. At Toya's behest, she tells his family that Toya 'is gone', as she is very careful to never say he is dead. Toya asks Teiko to help him end hero society, so Teiko shows him how idiotic his dreams are by instantly beating him in a fight and showing him that he has no pain tolerance. He is found by a young Stain, who was still Stendhal at this point, and the two are last suggested to live together. Seriously, the story is much cooler than this summary. I may be biased, but I think it's worth a read. _

_To you lazy fucks, the **super** tl;dr version of **The Eldest Todoroki** is that Toya Todoroki argues with his dad, suffers a mental break, 'flamed out' and destroyed his own body with his cremation quirk. He takes on the name Dabi and encourages his aunt Teiko, (my OC who will be in this story) to tell the rest of his family that he is dead. He and Stain become off-screen friends and while Dabi/Toya builds up his pain tolerance, hence why he doesn't join his friend in killing heroes. _

_Last note! Some of you may ask, "But Tweepa, why are you throwing in an OC? That's so boring!" Well, readers. I'm throwing in my OC because I fucking love her and I want her to get into stickier situations than raising Endeavor's kids. I sincerely appreciate any and all of my readers, but my favorites are those who comment. Oh, and if you read all this, hot damn, you're dedicated._


	2. Teachers

**Teachers**

* * *

Izuku went to the beach where he had cleaned in preparation for his new life. He'd done it for a chance to get into UA, for a chance to inherit One For All. He stared out along the slow, lazy waves. Where he once saw a horizon so full of promise and intrigue, now he saw the uncaring mass of water it had always been. He failed to see beauty in the place that had once been so dear to his heart. _This is where we had our chats…_ He and his classmates had gone their own ways to get home. Texts from all of them assured the green-haired teen that they were safe.

Or at least, as safe as any of them could be in the dawn of a villainous world.

It had only been days since the hero's death. "All Might," he whispered to the indifferent sand. "I can't do this without you. I don't even know where to start." More tears dripped down his face and slid to the ground. His figure rocked with full body sobs. "Why did you have to go?" Izuku called. His shout echoed over the seemingly endless horizon of water. Despite his plea for knowledge, he remained unanswered.

Inko knew how his son, no, _the world_ , had idolized All Might. Izuku trained. Inko cooked. In their own ways, they grieved. For the dozenth time that day, the anxious mother peered at the notice she'd received in the mail. **UA All-Dorm System**. That was the jist of their proposal. It sounded harmless enough. As a mother, she only saw letters that jumbled into an incompressible mess. She wanted to have Izuku all the way until college. Though it had destroyed him not to have a quirk, a part of her had been glad that he'd been safely out of harm's way.

Every day he attended UA, Inko grew increasingly worried. For him to be gone for long stretches of a time, locked under the watchful eyes of the teachers who had failed to predict attack after attack… it was too much for her to take. She felt certain her heart would give out after any more scares. She didn't wish to trouble Izuku with the pain that sometimes made the fingers on her left arm numb or her ears ring.

His dreams and her peace of mind could not coexist. She glanced at the clock and pulled batch of bread out of the oven. At the moment when she pulled off her oven mitts, Izuku walked in. She opened her mouth. As a mother, it was her duty to make everything better. At once, she knew nothing could be done. His bloodshot eyes made the green of his irises stand out even more than usual. She knew that around the world, there were countless hopeless faces just like Izuku's, all thanks to the death of All Might. Inko turned away, before the image of her distraught child could burn into her mind forever.

Meanwhile, Aizawa and Midnight rode in UA's street car together to talk to the students' families. For the most part, the somber families agreed to the change. There was hesitation from a few parents, but all of the students seemed driven by a new and rather startling determination. Though their Symbol of Peace was dead, they had the drive to become great heroes.

Midnight looked at their list. "Last up, the Midoriyas." She looked at the information - single mother raising a lone son. "Uh oh…this one will be tricky." Izuku was all Inko had in the world. Aizawa and Midnight climbed up the stairs to the family's small apartment and knocked on the door. Izuku answered and they all took a seat at the table. Judging from the boy's wet hair, he was fresh from the shower and wore only a white T-shirt and pair of workout shorts. The house was meticulously clean and smelled delightful, thanks to Inko's grieving.

Inko even had two baskets of goodies for the teachers, which she pressed in front of them. "I seem to have made too much," she explained in such a sweet voice that neither Aizawa nor Midnight could find it in their hearts to refuse. Before they even had the chance to bring up the dorms, Inko began to speak.

"My son has no place in UA." The chilling words shocked Izuku to the core. He turned to stare at his mother, as did Midnight. It was Aizawa's ability to stay calm under pressure that pulled them through.

"What makes you say that?"

Inko took a deep, chilling breath, and began. "His quirk miraculously appeared and I was grateful, at first. The more he attends your school, the more beat up he's gotten. My healthy, strong, intelligent, _beautiful_ son has had more casts in the past semester than he's had in his life. If he's not there, then he's rushing off with his friends, injured, or home studying. My son's not even a hero yet and I've already lost him. He doesn't know when to quit, so his arms are just a few injuries away from becoming unusable for the rest of his life." She stared intently at Aizawa. "You, as his teacher, are supposed to help him learn his limits. All Might, the man he admired most in the world, didn't know when to stop. Now look where he is. I can very easily see my son going down that same avenue and it terrifies me."

Izuku sprang from his seat. "Mom! That's not his fault. It's nobody's fault but my own."

Aizawa interjected. "No, it is my fault. As his teacher, I should have intervened long before now. UA should have. As a school, we _will_ be making changes. We will evolve from this crisis so we can continue to turn out great heroes."

It took many more minutes of convincing and easing Inko's worries, but in the end, Izuku would be joining his eighteen other classmates in the new dorms.

"That was harder than I thought it'd be," Midnight sighed to Aizawa. Though they should have felt triumphant at gaining Inko Midoriya's blessing, they felt incomplete. With Bakugo gone, they only had reason to visit nineteen of Class-A's twenty enrolled students.

* * *

Shigaraki scratched thoughtfully at his throat. The League of Villains loitered at their new bar. Kurogiri, as per usual, played the role of bartender. He wore his business-casual dress to cover the darkness of his body. Around them the rest of the league sat or stood. Toga somehow wrangled Dabi into a game at their new pool table. "How do we get the brat to change his mind?" The leader wondered aloud, as if he expected anyone to jump in with an opinion. While he was the mastermind, that didn't mean they didn't have to contribute.

"Maybe we could beat him into submission," Twice suggested.

Mister Compress' mask turned to the dark-clad villain. "You're welcome to throw the first punch."

Toga took a shot and smacked a ball into the corner pocket.

"What about you, Dabi?" Shigaraki stared through the fingers at their black haired fire user. "Any ideas?"

Dabi watched Toga sink another shot. Her aim was incredible. _At this rate, I won't get a hit in._ He idly made the assumption while he chewed over the question. He was quite burnable, so not at all the guide that could lead Bakugo into the league. "My mentor would have been a better fit for a task like this."

"Oh?" Shigaraki asked with obvious interest. "And where is your mentor now?"

Dabi pretended to glance at the clock. Though he knew what time it was, he enjoyed pissing off his leader. "I imagine she's making lunch."

"Then go and _get her_ ," the man-child hissed. His fingers scratched more swiftly over his aching throat. He wanted to ruin something, but settled for the small act of self-harm. His fingernails cut into his flesh. "Kurogiri. Take Dabi to wherever his mentor is. We need to get the kid while he's down."

Dabi set down his cue and smirked at Shigaraki. "You don't even know if she shares our ideals." He pointed out.

Shigaraki's fingers stopped. He froze at once and looked the fire-user over. "If she's your mentor, I imagine you'd have similar goals as her." He waited for Dabi to confirm the theory, but was infuriated when all Dabi did was laugh. " _Well_? Is she worth getting or not?!" Shigaraki slammed his fist on the bartop and planted his feet firmly on the stool beneath him. The tantrum was quite unbecoming, but it made Dabi feel as if he had a victory, however useless it may be.

"Yeah, she's worth getting." The young man pulled Kurogiri to the side and described their destination in reasonable detail. As he didn't want his family knowing of his existence quite yet, he added in a contingency. "I'll go alone. She'll attack if too many people show up in her place." Shigaraki trusted Dabi. After all, Dabi was the one who had been given the Nomu during the training camp excursion. As such, Kurogiri trusted Dabi. Dabi was given an intercom with a tracking device, which he'd use to signal when he needed picked up.

Dabi arrived outside his childhood home in broad daylight, all while knowing full well that nobody would notice. Most people were at their jobs or work, while the rest watched a memoir of All Might, which played on repeat over every news station, as if to remind everyone that the Symbol of Peace was dead, but hope lingered in his memory. Dabi knocked on the door and waited.

As expected, it was his aunt who answered. Teiko didn't seem too surprised by her guest. Then again, Dabi recalled that the woman was nearly unshakable. She was the reason he was alive. The reason he lived the way he did. "May I come in?" He asked with a light grin, as if tempting her to answer no.

"You better take your shoes off. I just mopped." Even as she spoke, she took a step back to admit him.

Dabi chuckled and did as she asked. He entered and expected to feel any spark of familiarity or pull to the settings around him, but all he experienced was indifference. He plopped down on the couch, in front of the TV, and watched the images of the fallen idol flash before the screen. Teiko went to the kitchen and got them both a glass of water. This was the first time she'd seen her eldest nephew in nearly a decade, so she imagined there must be _some_ sort of story behind the visit. She plopped in a few cubes of ice and walked over to join Dabi on the sofa. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"First of all, we really need to change your hairstyle. It's startling how much you look like him." He didn't say Enji's name, but they both felt it linger in the air.

Teiko was remarkably quick on the uptake. "Are you kidnapping me?" She sounded far more amused than worried. Dabi recalled their last encounter, when she had taken him down in a single hit and shown him how weak he was. That had been shortly after his flame-out, when he was fresh out of the burn ward. He idly wondered how a fight between them would end if they had a rematch.

Dabi lifted his water and took a long drink. Once he'd finished his swallowing, he set his turquoise eyes upon her matching gaze. "That depends. Are you going to resist? We've recently acquired a fire user in dire need of guidance that only you can give."

 _Bakugo._ She had seen him at the sports festival. Like the rest of the crowd, Teiko had marveled at the boy's ingenuity and raw talent.

"My results certainly vary. Shoto is going the route of a pro-hero." She slid her eyes to the most recent portrait of the teen in question.

"He wasn't very troublesome at the training camp. I think you lost your touch."

"Well," she shrugged and chuckled. "They can't all be perfect."

Each couldn't help but wonder what the other was truly thinking. On Dabi's end, he considered just how much of an influence Teiko had made on him that their acts were so completely parallel. "No, they can't," Dabi agreed. He set his empty glass down and stood. "Get some hair dye, make up an excuse, and be ready by tonight. If you're by the old Quirk Gym at midnight, you can join us as equals. If you don't, then we'll kill that precious student of yours." Dabi pressed the button behind his ear to signal Kurogiri and stepped forward into the dark abyss nearly the instant it appeared.

Shigaraki didn't afford Dabi a moment of silence. The instant the young man walked into the bar, he was assaulted by a frustrated voice. "You didn't bring anyone back," Shigaraki hissed. His eyes bulged beneath the benign palm gently cupped at his face.

"We'll get her in a few hours."

" _In a few hours_?" Shigaraki echoed, his tone filled with anger.

Dabi lazily grinned. "If you take her at once, she'll be reported missing. If you wait, then she'll come of her own accord and tie up any loose ends."

Kurogiri decided to intervene. "A clean break does seem to be the best track, Shigaraki."

Shigaraki scowled. "Fine. But if she doesn't show up, a clean break is exactly what you'll get." His words direct themselves at Dabi with force.


	3. Kindling

**Kindling**

* * *

Enji prided himself on his large manor. He had worked hard fighting villains to earn the big bucks and live comfortably. As his wife, then children filtered out of his lives, he found the spacious, empty halls were too much for him alone. He hadn't even reached fifty and thanks to UA's new dorm system, he would be an empty nester. He let his mask of fire fall from his face and stepped into the grand abode. For all their arguing, Teiko kept the place inhabited.

He saw her familiar duffle bag at the foot of the stairs. Disbelief rooted him in place. "And just where do you think you're going?" The fire hero asked. He watched his sister descend the stairs casually, as if it were any other day. He scowled and folded his arms. Shoto entered just after his father. Like Enji, the teenager frowned, but didn't say a word.

Teiko chuckled and hoisted the grounded luggage over her shoulder. "I told you before, you only have me until the kids leave. Fuyumi's a teacher, Natsuo's at college, and Shoto is moving to UA full time. You don't need me anymore." She was surprised at how Shoto refused to look at her, as if she were betraying him.

 _You don't know the half of it, kid._

"The house is too big for me," Enji muttered.

"Then light some of it on fire, little brother." She reached out her hand for a final shake, but he didn't take it. She offered her palm to Shoto, but he refused as well.

"It's the middle of the night," Shoto glanced over his shoulder into the darkness. "At least wait until morning."

Teiko shook her head. "No way. Now I'll get about fifty fewer people asking me if I'm related to your dad." She set her hand on her little brother's shoulder. "You have my number. Call or text me whenever you need." The motion was replicated to her nephew. "If you ever need anything, girl advice-"

"Stop,"

"Guy advice-"

"Aunt Teiko," Shoto grumbled.

"See ya, Squirt." She ruffled Shoto's hair, then stepped out into the night. Teiko had just enough time go to a salon and get her beautiful red hair cut and dyed, as per Dabi's instructions. By the time the stylist finished with her, Teiko looked like an entirely different person. She tossed her casual clothes in a dumpster and bought a pair of dark blue jeans, an ashen gray shirt, and a leather belt to hold several small pouches. She tucked a few similarly shaded items of clothes and a few objects for her utility belt into the duffle bag, slung it over her shoulder, and went to the meeting point. The only object she kept from her old life was her phone, which she made sure would only open with a fingerprint ID, lock screen, and quirk match. As an extra precaution, she didn't use her real print, but an earth-clad digit in a pattern that was easy enough for her to make, but impossible for a hacker to guess.

The Quirk Gym was once all white and located between the middle of a decent street and abandoned buildings. In the years that passed since the Quirk Gym's closure, the structures stacked beside it looked as substantial as a stack of dominos.

Not only was Dabi at her destination, but figures she only recognized from the news. Kurogiri and Shigaraki, supposedly high ranking members from the League of Villains, if not the supposed top dogs themselves. Shigaraki stepped forward. "So you're the old mentor, huh?" If he looked her over, she couldn't tell, thanks to the hand over his face. "What's your name?"

"I guess I'm Maki, now."

Dabi smirked. His own introduction had been quite similar. In that moment, he decided that he took after his aunt.

Shigaraki hated the parallel personalities between Maki and Dabi. "And what's your real name?" He pressed.

"Petra Dinklesplat," she declared without a thought.

Shigaraki glowered at them both. Despite Dabi's patchwork face, he could see certain similarities between them. "Well, Maki, welcome to your trial period. You'll be—"

She cut him off with a hand in the air. "Not out here, rookie. Get back to your base before you start spewing out your diabolical plans." Even if she didn't approve of whatever was going on, she would be sure to do better than an amateur.

Dabi's grin broadened until it tugged at his staples. Shigaraki remained frozen in pure rage. He couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. "You'd better be worth my time. If you're not-"

"You'll give me an early retirement?" She found that she loved pushing his buttons.

" _Then I'll kill you!_ " Shigaraki hissed venomously. "Kurogiri, take us back!"

* * *

Katsuki Bakugo didn't move when they shoved food into his room. He knew that his captors waited for him to snap, but he couldn't find the heart to do it. A part of him had sobered considerably at All Might's untimely, violent, and incredibly horrific death. _If All Might lost, then he wasn't the best._ His head couldn't seem to shake the nagging thought that plagued his every waking moment. _Does that make this faceless twat, this **nobody** the best?_ He was infuriated at the very notion, but the proof was so powerful that it brought tears to his eyes. _Heroes are supposed to be the best, damn it!_ For all the passion in his mind, he'd remained rooted in place for hours. Maybe it had been days. In the dimly lit confines of his cell, Bakugo had no way to track time.

It seemed like only a short time after his food had been delivered, but there was a knock at his door. _Do those fucking idiots not remember that I'm their hostage?_ "Go away!" He shouted, his fury ignited that they dared to treat him as if he had a choice.

Much to his surprise, he heard footsteps walk away. _It won't be that easy. They'll be back._ He knew what they wanted. They saw him as a potential recruit. They'd seen him at the sports festival and thought he was the best. _That victory was empty._ Anger brought his fist to the concrete floor in a sharp punch. _Stupid Icy Hot didn't use his fire. It wasn't a true win! He didn't give it everything he had._ Bakugo turned his eyes on the door. In doing so, he noticed he had a cot and sink in his room. _There's not even a pillow. What the fuck do they think I'd do if I had a pillow?_

"Hey! Get your ass back here, I changed my mind!" He wanted to see if the walker lingered close by. Only silence greeted him. " **Hey**!" He shouted again. "I said get back here!" Nobody came. The small stirring aroused hunger in his gut and sleepiness in his head. He glared at the tray of food and knocked it over, lest he be tempted to partake in whatever poison they'd given him. Bakugo stormed over to the pathetic bed and lay down. He resolved that he'd sleep lightly. If anyone came to get him, he'd be up in an instant and ready to fight. _I won't give in. They're nothing but scum._

He was awakened by a familiar noise. He judged the knocker to be the same as last time, or else they hit with precisely the same strength. Bakugo shot up to his feet and smashed his boots on the remains of his meal. "What?!"

Apparently, that wasn't what the knocker wanted to hear, either. Again, they walked off.

Was it days that they continued? Weeks? All he knew was that he shut his eyes and awakened to the damn same tune. The thumps grated on him. _They won't break me_ , he swore to himself, time and time again. He tried to blast down the door, to heat the lock into submission, or even find a loose rock he could throw at something. His cell seemed like it was impossible to escape from.

One day, when his challenger arrived, he tried a different tactic. Instead of snarling, as if he were a wolf that would bite off their face, he answered in a quieter voice. "Yes?" He waited for the retreat that was bound to come. The doorknob twisted and the teen jumped to his feet. His decision instantly proved to be a mistake. Thanks to his lack of food, he was dizzy and nearly fell. Bakugo's arm stretched out and caught him before he fell. Weak with hunger, he dropped himself back down to the cot.

It was with hate filled, narrowed eyes that the blonde glared at the woman who invaded his space. "What do you want, old lady?" Her brows lifted slightly. The woman had smooth black hair cut level with her chin, bangs that framed her turquoise eyes, and pale features. She was tall for a woman and looked to be in her late forties. Though he knew he'd never seen her before, she felt somewhat familiar.

Maki wasn't surprised that he didn't eat. Any sane person would doubt their kidnappers. "Apparently, I'm your new teacher." She sounded resigned to the fate.

"Eh?" His noise came out as a frustrated grunt. "I don't know you, Dyke. Get out of my room." He thought he saw her grin at the nickname. "Oi! Are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all. _You're_ making fun of _me_. I'm your one shot out of this place, kid, so pretend like you want to learn."

"Did Marble Man tell you to say that? Like I told him, I won't pretend. I don't do anything half-assed."

Maki looked at the ground. "You won't have an ass, half or otherwise, unless you eat." At that moment, Bakugo registered the open door and how carelessly the woman guarded it. _There's got to be a trap out there._

"Yeah, well bring me something good. The last stuff looked like shit."

"The sooner I can train you, the sooner we can go home, Bakugo. Don't act like a diva."

"If you want to help, then let me go home." He countered.

The woman stepped back and swept her arm open. "Door's open."

For a moment, he was tempted. Bakugo shoved his hands into fists and stormed forwards. He poked his head around the corner and looked from the left to the right. _Dyke doesn't care, so this is definitely a trap._ He only got his shoulders out of the doorway before he felt a thump on his head and the world went black.

When he came to, he was face down on his cot and had his arms tied behind his back. Voices echoed around him. He recognized the dyke's from before.

"He's entirely untrainable. You're essentially asking me to rewire something that has one wire."

Shigaraki answered. "I don't care what you think, Maki, he will be an invaluable asset to the league. All Might was willing to die-"

Maki interjected, "All Might would have died for a little old lady. That's the kind of hero he was."

 _Why are they talking in my room? Do they think I'm asleep?_ Their peace of mind infuriated him. _Why don't they see me as a threat?_ Bakugo grunted and turned, but the conversation didn't stop. All around him, golf-ball sized chunks of wet rock loitered in his space. None of them were particularly sharp or large enough to severely damage him. He wondered at their purpose. For now, he settled with gaining information. He had his back to the wall and could see that his door was still open, and that the speakers were just beyond in the hallway.

"He _was_ ," Shigaraki giggled. "And now he's gone."

Bakugo began to shift his wrists. _The idiots used rope_. He made a small blast from his hand. The moment he did, the rock nearest to his palm exploded. Shards darted against him. Some even buried into his flesh at the point blank range. The conversation halted, as Shigaraki and Maki both turned to look at Bakugo. The teen grimaced in silent pain, but wouldn't give them the pleasure of hearing him scream.

"Hey, _Facepalm_ ," he growled. "Let me out of here and you'll live just a bit longer." He grinned. "Because you're the first one I'm going to kill."

Shigaraki chortled gleefully. "This is your new teacher, Maki. She'll teach you how to use your brain, Brat. So far, it almost seems like you don't have one."

"You kidnapped a high profile student from the _highest_ profile high school, and you're saying _you_ can somehow teach someone how to use their brain?" In any other context, Bakugo may have laughed, but she sounded like an idiot.

Then again, he was doing the same thing.

"The next one of you to talk back will get my hand around your throat!" Shigaraki screeched.

Bakugo was surprised at the woman's instant reaction. "He's underage and that's not my fetish." Dabi chuckled in the hallway. Shigaraki leapt at Maki with his hand outstretched. All she had to do was use a bit of her fire to coat her body. Suddenly, Shigaraki lost any handhold he might have had. Even if he wanted to decay her, he couldn't without touching the flames and getting burnt.

"Dabi, Bakugo, and I are going to the kitchen. We'll be picking out whatever food you have that Bakugo says is palatable, and we'll train after he's eaten and had his injuries tended to." She took a menacing step forward. Bakugo couldn't help but be reminded of Endeavor as he looked at the fiery mask over her face and the turquoise eyes that peered out from behind it. "You need to touch five fingers to activate your quirk, right? If you boss me around again, you might find yourself one short."

"You wouldn't dare," Shigaraki said in a low, dangerous tone. For several seconds, Maki and Shigaraki stared one another down. She didn't add any more words to her promise. There was no need. _The balls on this bitch._ Maki was really kidnapped and in his corner, Baukgo felt he might stand a better chance at a successful escape. "Fine. I'll check in tomorrow to see the progress you've made."

Shigaraki removed himself from the room with as much dignity as a kicked puppy. Both Dabi and Bakugo knew she'd won, but nobody else in the league was around. Maki shoved her hair from her eyes and frowned at the teen. "Don't ruin my impression of you, Katsuki. Sure, you're not level headed, but you know how to think." The stones around him shifted and he winced. Maki drew them back to one of the many bags on her utility belt. "Wetted sandstone," she explained, "will explode when introduced to extreme heat. If you suddenly have a rock like that in your field of vision, it means you need to let me do the talking. If you have a cloud around you, then it implies that you should stay still."

"Fuck you, Dyke." Now that there was nothing floating by him, Bakugo used his quirk to explode the bonds around his wrists. He followed suit by freeing his bound ankles. "I'm not eating anything you give me."

"Then cook your own shit," she countered. Maki couldn't help but feel like she was caught in a dead-end pissing match. Dabi grinned as he listened to their exchange. "Dabi, lead the way."

"You're missing out, kid. Maki's a fine cook."

"If she cooked for you, I'm going to pass. I'd rather not look like Frankenstein's monster."

Maki and Dabi chuckled almost in unison. _Fucking creepy._ He hated how cool they acted, as if nothing he said mattered. In the end, his hunger won out. Bakugo followed his captors to a kitchen quite like what one would expect to find of a low class elementary school. He was surprised to see that the shelves were well stocked. "How do you idiots go shopping? Everyone's looking for you."

Neither of them bothered to answer. "Hey!" He shouted. "I asked you fucks a question!"

"Dabi," Maki said.

"Hmm?"

"The baby's crying."

Bakugo screamed at once, "I am not a baby!"

Dabi caught the game. "Should we take the baby back to its crib? We can't let a fussing child dictate our lives."

"Let's give the baby one more minute. If he quiets, then we can feed him. If not, then he'll have to try to fight his way out with a spinning head and low ring in his ears."

Bakugo released a frustrated 'tch', but didn't try to say anything else. _I'll kill every last one of them_. He watched Maki take a seat and Dabi lean against the wall. "Eh? What are you doing?"

Dabi gave a lazy grin, but didn't move. "You said you didn't trust us, so cook for yourself."

Maki pulled out her phone and scrolled through her notifications. While some may think her idiotic for giving a kid unlimited access to the many knives in the room, she factored in his natural ability to explode and figured it was a relatively minor risk. Bakugo hesitated, but hunger propelled him forward. He ignored the already open bags and pulled sealed containers forward. He settled for making himself a chicken curry and meat shoved so far back in the fridge that nobody would have thought to poison it. He washed rice, chopped vegetables, and moved about the motions without so much as looking at them.

Maki was glad to see that there were only spam emails and no texts. She felt Dabi's expectant gaze on her. "Relax, twerp. I'm here, aren't I?"

"For now," he agreed easily enough. "If you keep talking that way to Shigaraki, you may not be for long." Bakugo became noticeably quieter in his work so he could eavesdrop.

"Why hasn't anyone killed your mini-boss?"

Dabi chuckled. "He's certainly not the best, but he's the best leader we've got. The rest of us are too unstable or unmotivated to try to take on the role. Plus, Shigaraki has all the resources."

"I want to know how he got support from the hulk that killed All Might."

"Ah, that's All For One. I don't know much about him." He glanced over at Bakugo, who hurriedly looked away and tossed his chopped meat into the pan. Dabi continued. "Are you already planning a hostile takeover?"

"The idea's certainly there," she admitted. "As I'm sure it has been for you."

"Nah, never for me, or really any of us. We're a pack of followers."

Maki frowned. "I never thought you'd become a sheep."

Dabi didn't let her get to him. "I have the face for radio." He said dismissively as he pushed off the wall. "I'm off."

"Don't you tattle on me, kid," she said without a care in the world.

Dabi smirked, but didn't say a word.

Soon, only Bakugo and Maki were left in the cafeteria. Bakugo made the rest of his dinner in silence and ate it from the pan. He made sure to keep Maki in his sights at all times, but she certainly didn't return the courtesy. She had her arms folded and appeared lost in thought.

"Hey," Bakugo said. She was the best thing he'd have to an ally in this place. "Are you really going to try to kill Shiraki?"

"Nah. I'm just seeing where Dabi's loyalty lies. What better test than to make a threat against the guy in charge?" Bakugo accepted the logic, even if it wasn't the avenue he'd take. "His quirk is easy to beat. All you have to do to end him is tear a finger off."

Bakugo wasn't sure if he was horrified or concerned at the woman's cold logic. "Why won't you tell them your real name?"

At this, Maki's brows raised. "Would you?"

Bakugo supposed not.

* * *

 **Maki translates to kindling.**


	4. The Move-In

**The Move-In**

* * *

Izuku and his peers moved into the dorms shortly after All Might's death. The League of Villains must have found the tracker Momo put on the Nomu, as the signal abruptly cut off the day after Katsuki's failed rescue. Izuku began to unpack his All Might collection, but all he saw were sad reminders of what the world was missing. _The value on these has probably tripled._ He thought to himself. Despite the knowledge, he didn't have any plans to sell even a piece of his memorabilia. Izuku left the walls bare and placed All Might's merchandise in the closet. Maybe one day he'd have the strength to put them out, but not today.

Nobody entered the vacant, unmarked dorm. They all knew it was for Katsuki. Looking would only confirm that not only was he not there, but that the small group of students had failed. Everyone finished settling in, and Aizawa gathered his students in their common area and gave them a talk. "I should expel everyone but Jiro and Hagakure." He began. His bloodshot eyes stared accusingly at the remaining seventeen of his class. "Not only did some of you participate in a secret, _failed_ , rescue attempt, but the rest of you kept quiet." He spoke harshly to his students not only because he cared, but because he hated the lack of communication between them. "This is your last warning. You'll play by the rules or you can find yourself a different hero course." The man had to make a conscious effort not to slide the door behind him with excess force.

For a time, they all sat quietly. None of them blamed the two girls for going to Aizawa. In the end, it had been done as a way to protect themselves and their peers. They silently trickled to back to their rooms where they could get a bit of privacy. The five who had been a part of the reconnaissance lingered. Though Momo and Iida regretted their part in events, Izuku, Kirishima, and Shoto knew they wouldn't have changed a thing.

Finally, even they went to bed. Shoto checked his phone. He had six texts from his father, all one statement, but sent individually. He pulled up his aunt's contact information and stared. Though she hadn't reached out, he couldn't help but feel unsettled by her abrupt departure. Even at his worst days, she had been a pillar he could rely on. She was the one he asked for advice. Without her, he felt trapped in his own head. _What would she have had me do?_ He'd never even told her how close he'd been to Bakugo during All Might's last stand.

In the end, he sighed and went to sleep without sending anything. He left his mobile on his chest, as to alert him the moment something came through.

* * *

Come morning, his torso buzzed. There was nothing from his aunt, but his father had sent one more message. This time, it was more streamlined.

 **How have you settled in?**

Of course, he didn't answer. Shoto knew Enji was trying, but that didn't mean he necessarily had to reciprocate. The teen got dressed for the day and attended his classes. Without commute time to the university, there were new possibilities for building himself a stronger lead as the top student. He mentally calculated his subjects and how much time he'd need to study and train every day to keep his position firmly as number one. Teiko had been his teacher and mentor for anything based on his quirk. Without her pushing him, he knew he'd have to focus even more on mastering his left side. Alone. He found the idea daunting, but knew he only had one choice if he wanted to stay the best. He'd just have to remember her basics and grow from them.

Izuku faced a similar problem with All Might's untimely death. He lost his mentor and would have to use what measly teachings he'd been given to master One For All. Class 1-A went to their final lesson, which was labeled as an open gym, where they could train with one another. Much to Izuku's surprise, a stout, familiar man stood at the double doors. "Gran Torino?" The boy asked with surprise. His peers naturally took a long look at the small fry, as if unable to believe he was a new teacher.

"Hey, Midoriya," Gran Torino greeted. "Your principal asked me to fill in for a while." All Might had left a gap in the faculty.

"I thought you didn't care about teaching." It probably wasn't the most sensitive thing to say about the sub, but the words slipped out before he could think.

Thankfully, Gran Tornio seem to care. Though the other teachers were present, such as Gang Orca, Midnight, Ectoplasm, and Cementoss, they allowed Gran Torino to speak. "I want to leave my mark on the heroes that will surpass All For One." He turned to address their shameless eavesdroppers. "If anyone can do it, it'll be you guys. Work hard. Your new goal is to focus these next ten days, pass the test, and get your provisional licenses."

There was no need for him to say anything else. The class took to their first day of training with unbridled passion. They got home feeling determined and satisfied. One small change reminded the young heroes of how their world had been upset.

The vacant room was filled.

Hitoshi Shinso looked the same as he had at the Sports Festival. His indigo hair was still messy and his eyes were still creased with bags beneath them. Kirishima was the first to notice him, as they were next door neighbors. "Hey, what are you doing?" He asked Shinso as the teen unlocked his room. Kirishima was still wet from the showers and had yet to get dressed.

"Unpacking," he answered simply enough. "Since Bakugo won't be returning, UA has decided that I'm capable of filling the slot of the hero course." He fought to keep back the satisfaction in his voice. Judging by what he'd seen from the bond between Kirishima and Bakugo, any triumph would be taken as a personal affront. He had no desire to linger, so he closed his door and went about making the bland dorm room his own.

Kirishima quickly pulled out some comfortable clothes – a T-shirt and some shorts, as there were no more lessons for the rest of the day. He didn't grab his books to study, but stormed down to the common area with fire in his eyes. Once he arrived, he glowered at the couch.

"Is something wrong, Kirishima?" Asui asked. One by one, their peers trickled in to join them. Sato carried a freshly baked cake that he ate with a toothpick. "Yeah," the red-head said through gritted teeth. "UA is trying to replace Bakugo."

Momo turned her head and frowned. "That's impossible. Nobody could replace Bakugo."

"Well they filled his slot!" Kirishima shouted. He clenched his fist and slammed it on a nearby table with enough force to dent the wood.

"That's school property!" Iida couldn't help but yell.

"If the school doesn't care about Bakugo, then they won't care about the stupid table!" Kirishima retorted to the class rep.

Surprisingly, Izuku kept cool. "Eijiro," he called Kirishima by his first name to get his friend's full attention. "It is Bakugo's school and I'm sure they care about him as much as you do, but sometimes you have to know when you've lost."

"You're the king of 'we can do it'. What the hell happened to you, Midoriya?" The reassigned dorm was so permanent, so unexpected that it brought tears to Kirishima's eyes. _These are manly tears, damn it!_

Izuku frowned and looked down at his scarred right hand. "Yeah, I was," he agreed.

Kirishima and the rest of the listeners waited for Izuku to say something more. This was the part where he'd think of a plan, or do _something_ other than blindly accepting the school's decision. Much to everyone's surprise, Izuku did not make a speech. His three words seemed to echo in the silence that followed.

Shinso made his debut quietly. He exited the elevator and walked through the common area on his way to the dining hall. "Hey!" Kirishima shouted at the upstart. Shinso didn't turn, but he did stop. "I don't care who you brainwashed to get here, but don't get comfortable. As soon as Bakugo's gone, you're out of here!" Shinso carried on. Though he had planned on making a speech about how he didn't need friends, it looked as if that wouldn't be a problem. Everyone already hated him.

* * *

 _For now, the heroes get less plot as I'm mainly keeping to a more somber, but still parallel series of events that took place in season three. Once I push past that and move into my own storyline, they'll get more interesting chapters. In the meantime, the story will focus on the League of Villains. Thus far, there are hints of the manga in the chapters to come, but we won't totally follow the path of a tale already told. As I said, I'm gonna wreck shit. Let's go non-cannon. Nobody's pointed anything out in the reviews, yet, so I'm assuming y'all are bored to tears, but sadistically return in hopes for some gore. Don't worry, readers, next chapter is coming. We'll be back at the LoV._


	5. Earth and Fire

**Earth and Fire**

* * *

Once Bakugo finished his food, Maki gave him a choice. "Do you want to affiliate with the enemy? Or would you rather go back to your room?"

Everything about how she talked stuck true to her story, that she was kidnapped like him. "You're Patchface's mom, aren't you?" She had looked familiar. Seeing the two of them together had likely solved one of the countless riddles of the League of Villains.

"It certainly does fit. My name means kindling, his is cremation." Though she didn't outright agree, she didn't try to deny it.

Bakugo scoffed. "Take me back to my room. If one of you extras try bugging me again, I'll kill you." He didn't mean to, but he fed off Maki's overly confident demeanor. With his arrogance already through the roof, his act had skyrocketed.

Maki shrugged and turned to lead him away. "Tomorrow they're going to make us fight. You're probably too young, but did you ever hear about places called Quirk Gyms?" Bakugo refused to acknowledge her, but the topic was new territory. "If you do unlicensed hero work, you're automatically labeled as a criminal. Not everyone's cut out to become a pro, so they have to take more realistic jobs and could only daydream about using their quirks.

"A guy named Giran founded them. He's got his hand in everything black market and would probably sell his soul if he could turn a profit. Quirk Gyms were a barely-legal outlet that were outlawed nine years ago. You could select from four levels, one being the most basic injuries, and level four went until someone permanently lost their ability to fight. Whether it was by a severed spinal cord, coma, or death was entirely up to the participants. Once you picked your level, your scores were tallied. All of your wins and losses were taken into account, as well as your quirk, and a personal score given to you by a judge. Nobody could see your quirk until you used it and personal scores were only in the system, so they were never advertised."

Bakugo imagined a world where such a place existed. Though she said they were _barely_ legal, a gym where he could have practiced fighting before his high school years would have been a dream come true. "How come they were outlawed?" He was desperate enough to know more that he swallowed his pride.

"Look at you, asking the right questions," she teased, but made sure to give him a swift answer before he could explode. "Vigilantes were using the Quirk Gyms to scout potential sidekicks. The algorithm and clear rules provided structure to the underground, which is the last thing a hero society needs. They need to be the ones people turn to in crisis, not some vigilante without proper training." She began to lead him back to his room. "Some argued that all the government wanted was to pay the heroes and keep them in their pockets. Vigilantes showed that they had no interest in money, so the government couldn't 'leash them'. In short, the argument went that a pro hero will listen to rules, but a vigilante won't." They left the cafeteria and walked back down the hall.

"Since All Might's last stand, people are terrified. They've begun to revisit the long abandoned Quirk Gyms and hone their abilities. Fathers desperate to protect their families have begun to tentatively explore their quirks' defensive properties. Mothers try to make their quirks offensive. Basically, everyone feels as if they have to count on themselves. They're terrified not just of the League of Villains, but of the Eight Precepts, and other gangs that have begun to stir." She paused to let their predicament sink in. "Giran's lawyers found a loophole. For five yen per match, anyone over the age of fourteen can participate. Before it had been categorized as a volunteer organization, but now it's a legitimate business. Somehow, such a minor change on paper to an otherwise untouched chain of buildings has made everything all right." Maki frowned. "Without All Might, the pillar of everything, our society has a messy stack of dominos. Once something topples, the others will give."

They reached Bakugo's room, but he made no attempt to enter. He didn't care that he was listening carefully and that the state of things shocked him to the core. "And you," she continued. Bakugo glared up at her. "The winner of the UA Sport's Festival. The guy who put up so much fight not be even be crowned champion… you were taken. Now everyone doubts UA, which is supposedly the school for the best. You were even stolen at a school sponsored event." Maki frowned at his defeated expression. "Fight back, you pussy. I don't mean that you should run out with explosions and piss everyone off by killing some _extra_ , but stop putting your pride in the way. Stop making yourself a victim and start being a player." She shut the door behind him, but didn't lock it.

* * *

Kurogiri had never heard such an odd speech. He felt as if there had been some secret threat in their newest member's monologue. He finished eavesdropping and reported back to Shigaraki. "She was informative and thorough as she told Bakugo about Quirk Gyms and that they'd be fighting tomorrow." He paused for a moment. "Are you sure that you'll make them fight?"

"Of course I will," Shigaraki snapped. He was pleased that, at last, they seemed to be making headway with their captive. All along, he had worried that he'd miscalculated with the boy. "Right now they're both wastes of space. With more firepower, we could eliminate larger targets and cause more mayhem." The two held a private council in the bar, while the rest of their members had been sent on various tasks. Toga was to collect blood, Mister Compress and Spinner, as their most talkative and charismatic members, were at Quirk Gyms, seeking out potential recruits. Thus far, they had gained four new members in the League of Villains. Magne and Twice committed small acts of terror to begin the inevitable citizen frenzy. Dabi prowled the streets and set fire to police stations and hospitals. It was most certainly an age for villains.

* * *

On their way back in from their scouting, Spinner and Mister Compress made sure to mark their current hideout, the elaborate basement of a Quirk Gym, as **CLOSED**. Mister Compress locked the door and slid the key into his pocket. Out of habit, he moved the key down into his sock with a simple sleight of hand. He'd be a close-up magician until he died. "They'll be getting started soon, won't they," he asked his companion.

"Yeah, probably." Spinner agreed. He yawned and stretched his arms high above his head. It had been a long, mildly successful night. "I'm going to go to bed."

Compress appeared distraught. "You'll miss the show! This is the entire reason for our venture, so young Bakugo can begin his training…" Spinner could feel the monologue beginning, so he walked away at once. Compress folded his arms and released a loud "hrumph!" of frustration. The magician walked to the nearby bleachers and took a seat. He tapped his cane to the beat of a song stuck in his head and waited.

Ten minutes later, a void opened and the better part of the League stepped from the darkness. "Giran," Compress greeted. He tipped his top hat to the business savvy entrepreneur. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" Around them, the villains got seated.

The man grinned. "Seeing as you're in one of my businesses, I could say the same to you." By keeping his prices ridiculously low, he was able to entice average citizens into participating in more battles. It had been at All For One's behest that they made the gyms had originally been created. Many had underground bunkers, which were to be used by the League of Villains. People signed up at Quirk Gyms using aliases, but for the most part, it was simple to match their quirks to descriptions owned by the government. It was a rare occasion when one's identity remained truly unknown.

Giran knew of the plethora of cameras built not only into the arenas, but the microphones in the hideouts. Though All For One had access to the Quirk Database, he said he enjoyed seeing the quirks firsthand. As for his League, he had full access to eavesdrop in on them whenever he wished. The businessman didn't fault All For One for his eavesdropping. He'd sunk millions of yen into his hobby. If Giran were an honest man, he'd wonder where all the money came from. At the end of the day, he didn't care, so long as he kept getting paid.

Bakugo looked as wild as ever. He glared around at everyone around him as if they planned on ambushing him again. Maki drew many stares, as few of the League truly knew her. Thanks to their similar personalities and appearances, not only Bakugo had started to think that Maki was Dabi's mother.

Giran flicked his fingers to Bakugo. "What name will you be using?"

"Lord Murder." He answered at once.

Giran typed. "Taken."

"King Murder."

"That's overkill, kid." Struck by the idea, he typed. "You are now Overkill."

"Eh? I didn't pick it."

"Too bad, it fits. Everything you do is overkill. Like this conversation." Giran tapped on the keyboard and overtook the Quirk Gym's server. "What level?" Giran asked once Shigaraki and Kurogiri had taken their seats. Bakugo checked the level descriptions.

 _Level 1: No cuts or bruises._

 _Level 2: Small injuries, functionality maintained._

 _Level 3: Broken bones and bruising permissible._

 _Level 4: Ultimate end._

Shigaraki took the time to look the guidelines over as well. "Our party doesn't have a healer, so level two," he declared. Both names flashed onto the screen. While Bakugo had zero victories and defeats, he was surprised to see his opponent's stats. He knew she could control earth, but didn't think the quirk was so great in an indoor arena. Apparently he was wrong.

 _Level 1: 0-0_

 _Level 2: 12-0_

 _Level 3: 24-5_

 _Level 4: 1-0_

 _What the hell is in those pockets?_ He couldn't help but wonder. Maki had added put a vest over her dark gray shirt in addition to the four compact pouches attached to her belt. _She's a fucking killer._ The level four victory seemed to be even more dangerous than her two dozen level three wins.

"Quit staring. It's show time!" Mister Compress announced. He gestured for Bakugo and Maki to enter the ring. Maki did so, her goal clear in her mind. Not only did she have to beat Bakugo, but she'd have to do it so instantly and fully that he couldn't get close enough to initiate hand to hand combat. Maki had watched Bakugo at the Sports Festival and knew the kid was a rabid dog. If he got a hit in, he'd win. But if she kept him at bay and won, she could probably convince him to train.

Bakugo considered resisting, but the outlet was too good. He had no qualms with fighting girls, and this one looked like she could be a fun challenge. He felt a grin slip over his mouth. For the first time in a week, he was actually excited. "You won't get a hit in, old lady." She looked too calm. He wanted to stir her up a bit.

Maki reached her hand out. "Good luck."

 _Eh? She wants to shake?_ Bakugo pushed her arm out of the way. "It's not luck that will win, Dyke." Beneath them was metal, so Bakugo judged that all of her earth had to come from whatever was in her bags. Each fighter took their spots on the far sides of the hockey-sized arena. _She probably has more limestone that she'll push out at once. I just have to keep moving and get in close._ A gong sound effect broke his concentration. It was unexpectedly loud and almost made his ears ring.

It was thanks to the moment of hesitation that Maki could do exactly as Bakugo predicted. Wet limestone zoomed free from two of her four her hip pouches. _Shit_ , he thought as he was surrounded. His foot lifted to rush forward, but a rock intercepted his path to the ground and he tripped. _Shit!_ None of the floating limestone was any bigger than his palm. If he activated his quirk, he was bound to experience a little bit of pain, but it wouldn't sting nearly as much as defeat would.

Bakugo decided to make it fast. He covered his face with his arms shot blasts over his shoulders, and propelled forward. Painful shards stabbed into his back. He had hoped to leave the trap behind him, but it followed him. He was only meters away. His clothes had tears and skin was hurt from the mix of blunt force and nasty blades of rock that had cut into his shoulders. _So close!_

The limestone that hadn't exploded suddenly shifted to form a shield in front of Maki. "Ha! You can't hide, you coward!" Bakugo had her on the ropes! Or so he thought. He hadn't set anything on fire, but a sudden explosion seemed to rock the gym. _What the hell?_ Bakugo had this thought even as he went rocketing backwards. He went all the way across the sheltered room and only stopped thanks to a wall. Though he was stunned by the force of the blast and he had blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth from his bit tongue, he struggled to his feet. _I didn't even blast it. How?_

He wasn't given long to think. A wave of fire consumed their hall. Not only could he not see, he couldn't move. For just a moment, he thought he saw Shoto's silhouette in the flames. _Icy Hot?_ Somehow, they had the same pose. He covered his face with his arm and coughed into the sleeve. _That bitch. Not only did she win, I couldn't get a damn hit on her in an enclosed room!_ He felt his eyes water at the heat. He could set off explosions now, but what good would they do?

 _I can herd her, too._

From outside the rink, the League watched the fight.

Kurogiri and Mister Compress discussed the tactics. "She has her rocks all around her, just out of the reach of the fire, but is that wise? If Bakugo throws out an explosion her way, wouldn't the rock hit her?"

Mister Compress answered, "I think she has enough control that she wouldn't let one of her own projectiles hit her. I propose they're at a checkmate, even if Bakugo doesn't realize it yet."

Toga seemed disappointed. "I want to see the blood!"

Magne's lips seemed to get even bigger. "I want to fight her next. I wonder how she'd do against my quirk."

"Your quirk is stupid," Toga huffed. "There's not enough blood!"

"Here he goes," Dabi said with a smile. He knew his aunt wasn't going to hold back. If put in her place, he wouldn't, either. They both knew what happened to those who played recklessly with fire.

Bakugo made a mad rush. He couldn't get enough momentum to spin, as he had against Shoto, but he could at least blast his way out. He jumped and tried to use his explosions to give him altitude, but he severely overestimated the heat and how it seemed to suck the power of his blasts away. In a room full of hot air, he couldn't use the trick. He fell right towards the fire.

Maki quenched her onslaught. The wet rocks slid back into her pouch and she extinguished her flames. Bakugo was enraged at the loss. He'd had a plan, but then it'd been drug through a fucking inferno. Maki walked towards the boy and offered him her hand. Not only did he refuse it, but he knocked her palm to the side. "Get away from me!" He growled. There was no resistance on her part. She didn't try to console him or offer advice. As requested, she walked out to the stands.


	6. A Change in Plans

**A Change in Plans**

* * *

Bakugo's shirt was ruined. Holes littered the back and they reeked of smoke. He'd have to get a replacement or be forced to walk around looking like a worthless hobo. Shigaraki clapped slowly from the stands. "Wonderful, Maki," he praised. "With you, we almost don't need the brat."

The blonde knew that he wouldn't be released. If they decided they didn't need him, he'd be killed. Maybe it'd be a televised snuff, to better frenzy the masses. He wiped the tears that had accumulated as a protection against the smoke and sighed. He had felt confident that he'd win, but he'd lost so, _so_ easily _._ Maki glanced over her shoulder to Bakugo, as if giving him a second thought. "He could've beaten me," she admitted. "He's enough of a threat that I had to throw up my biggest defenses to date."

Bakugo felt resentment prick at him. Now she was just being obnoxiously humble. "Shut the fuck up, Dyke. You knew you'd win." He waited for her to respond or acknowledge him, but she didn't. Bakugo was left in the ring. The teen used his moment to glance around his surroundings. He spotted several doors, but had no way to tell which led to where. Just a few days before, he would have charged and hoped for the best, but now he hesitated. If he proved to be too much of a problem, they might decide to do worse things than recruit him.

Magne rolled his eyes. "If you've seen your opponent before and have the obvious advantage, it'd be embarrassing to lose."

"You saw all the kids at the sports festival and were still knocked out at the training camp," Mister Compress pointed out, much to Magne's embarrassment. Toga giggled.

"Since you've proven you're worth our time, why don't you tell us all a bit about yourself, Maki?" Shigaraki said the words as if he were goading her into a trap.

"I'm Maki, Dabi's old mentor-"

"We can all tell you're his mom," Twice interjected. "We're not stupid!"

 _You so sure about that?_ They weren't too far from the mark, though. She continued without confirming or denying the claim. "And new member of the League of Villains."

"No, _duh_ ," Toga sighed. "Tell us something _interesting._ "

"I won't even pretend to know what would interest you, little leech." Her words were harsh, but said with a chuckle.

Toga took the statement as a chance to have her opinion known. "I love _blood_!" The blonde squeaked. Bakugo made sure to have his face on that one, so she wouldn't see the punctures and freely dribbling crimson down his back.

"I can't say I share the sentiment. I like teaching."

Shigaraki considered the woman. "If Bakugo won't learn from you, then I you have a new job. You'll go to the Quirk Gyms, fight, and recruit any of those you think have promise. Spinner and Mister Compress will show you how it's done."

The last thing Maki wanted to do was get the League even more members. Something told her that some recruits were coerced, while others, like Toga, are the type she'd rather leave in a back alley. She kept her face relaxed and her body language easy. "Sure," she agreed readily enough to quench any suspicion. _Hopefully Bakugo decides to learn. If I can get him to trust me, I can get him out of here._

They broke for lunch. Mister Compress and Spinner acted as Bakugo's guards, but they needn't have bothered. The boy focused all of his rage to Maki and glared after her unharmed back. Each shift of his body made small jabs of pain shift along his spine, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of wincing. There was general surprise from the villains to see food waiting for them. "Master ordered in for us," Shigaraki explained. There were three tables set up, but only half the seats filled by the time everyone grabbed food for themselves.

Bakugo leaned on the wall beside the door. No matter how good everything looked, he wouldn't eat with them. Maki finished her food and walked over. "I've got it from here, guys." Mister Compress tipped his hat and thanked Maki, but Spinner glared distrustfully at their newest member. "Come if you want, but Bakugo needs a new shirt. I put new clothes in his room." The blonde inwardly seethed. Not only did she win, but she'd been so certain in her victory that she'd bought him new clothes.

"I don't need your charity!" Bakugo shouted. His volume would have drawn every eye to him back at UA, but he was just one of many loud voices in the hall. Toga squeaked about her crushes, Twice was flustered over something Dabi said, and Magne laughed so loudly that it seemed to stem from his core.

"They're apology shirts," Maki declared.

Spinner gave another look at the buffet before him. "Fine. Be quick about it."

Maki followed Bakugo back to his room. "Don't watch me change, pervy old lady," he growled over his shoulder and slammed the door in her face. He wanted to resist, but he had to get the increasingly itchy shirt off his back. He twisted and tried to pull the shards of limestone from his wounds, but simply couldn't. "Hey, Dyke! Get these fucking rocks out of me!" Bakugo turned and put a hand on the door, but visualization seemed to be unnecessary. The teen released a groan of discomfort when he felt the shards tug out of his flesh, even as she was beyond the door. Some were far deeper than he'd expected.

Bakugo wanted to punch a hole in the wall. What's worse were the fresh bandages on his bed. "You've been looking down on me this entire time!" He shouted, knowing full well she was listening. Not only did she know she'd injure him, she'd been arrogant enough to provide the solutions after they were done.

"You're young and untrained," she explained from the other side.

"Yeah, well you fight like that Icy Hot bastard!"

There was a pause. For a moment, she wrestled with telling him who she was. Who Dabi was. "Do you need help bandaging yourself?" She fully expected him to say no.

"Yes, damn it!" He growled, as he couldn't wrap his own torso.

"May I come in?"

"Yes, damn it!"

She stepped to the door with her brows raised. "Did you run out of words?"

"Shut up, Dyke!" Bakugo let her in and tend to the wounds she'd made. For minutes, they settled in silence. "You look like Patchface," he began. She kept quiet, "but like I said, you fight like that Icy Hot Bastard." He wouldn't let it go until he got an explanation.

 _He's remarkably observant._ "How do we fight alike?"

"With offense and defense, but I'm guessing you're worthless at hand to hand, since you tried to keep me so far away." Some of his anger seemed to diminish as he reflected. "Plus your stances are similar."

"Why couldn't you propel yourself forward?"

The topic change infuriated him, but he wanted to know the answer. He hated how she could pull at his curiosity. "I couldn't explode through the fire's heat." Bakugo answered.

"Close. Every time you tried, I'd concentrate the fires at the point where you aimed and made them larger. Your quirk became as effective as if you were farting." She finished and stepped back. "I didn't think you'd appreciate it if I held back."

"I wouldn't have," he agreed, though he wouldn't look at her while she said it.

"Consider carefully whether or not you want me to become your teacher. I'm going to fight you once a week at level two. If you accept, I'm going to try to get the others to fight you as often as possible. This is different from my usual style, but you'll probably be in a constant state of wariness and exhaustion."

"And what if I say no?" He wanted to know his options.

"I can't say for sure, but I imagine you'll be decayed and filmed. If you don't appear to further their cause, they'll add you to their corpses and air your snuff film to the world. You'd be forever known as Baku-melt." She spoke plainly, but with such restraint that Bakugo couldn't get a read on her. He had no idea if she was trying to prevent his demise or only acted out of a sense of duty.

"Fine. I'll be your damn student." He felt weak for agreeing, but he'd rather sacrifice to learn new tricks instead of becoming Baku-melt. He'd been kidnapped and had tarnished his school's reputation. His goal was to get out alive and deliver what information he had to the pros. " _If_ you tell me about your relationship with Icy Hot."

"He was a student of mine."

"Until when?" Bakugo was going to peel as much information out of her as he could.

Maki knew they were getting too close to home, but she had to win his trust if either of them stood a chance at escape. "Until about a week ago." Bakugo drew his own assumptions from there. What he couldn't decide was how Dabi fit in, unless he really was her kid. He felt as if he lingered at the edge of a breakthrough, but couldn't reach it. "Anything else?" she asked.

Bakugo ran through some questions in his head, but voiced none of them. "No. Get out of my room, Dyke." He half expected for her to say he show some respect, now that she was his teacher.

 _It's a miracle this guy has any friends._ She thought as she closed the door. Bakugo waited for the snap of a lock sliding into place, but none came.

* * *

Bakugo couldn't possibly tell day from night in the dark hellhole of a hideout. When he assumed it had been twelve hours from lunch, he decided to explore. Plus, his bucket, where he'd been doing his business, was full to overflowing. He set it in the hall and began his mission to find an actual toilet and a sink. He knew better than to shower with bandages on, but his stink was enough that even he was able to notice it.

It took a surprisingly long time to navigate the maze of corridors. He was almost glad when he ran into a fellow nightwalker. "Oi!" He shouted to the unknown figure. "Where the fuck are the showers?" Bakugo felt as if he'd wandered in circles.

Dabi turned and allowed his eyes to lazily flick over the teen. "Say please."

"Eh?" His first response came as a knee-jerk reaction. Nobody ever expected manners of him.

"You're asking me for a favor," the young man continued, a smirk on his stapled mouth, "so say please."

"You're fucking insane if I'm going to say please. Just tell me where the fucking showers are."

Dabi found an odd thrill from small victories. "No." He continued on his path.

"Eh!? Damn it, Patchface, I stink!"

"You should probably take a shower," Dabi advised with a lazy flick of his wrist. The gesture was in a noncommittal direction, so it failed to help.

"That's what I'm trying to do, damn it!" He tried another avenue. "Where's your old lady?"

Dabi stopped and turned. If anything, he looked even more amused. "Who?"

"You know who I mean. Where's Dyke?"

"Don't you know _any_ of our names?" Dabi wasn't offended. He'd found another victim whose buttons he could press.

"Yeah, I know her name," Bakugo lied. "It's uh…kindling."

"That's what her name _means_. One last try."

"Uh…Maki!" He was ridiculously relieved that he'd remembered.

Of course, Dabi ruined it. "Say please."

"Damn it, Patchface, where is she?" He shouted, his face reddened with anger.

"Oh, fine." Bakugo expected the smartass remark that was to come. "She's in her room." He'd had enough. Bakugo released two warning shots from his hands.

Dabi answered by lifting his hand. "Careful, now. You'll have to pay for any property damage. This place isn't cheap, either."

"I thought villains weren't about following the rules."

Luck or fate had Maki's bladder full. She walked out of her room, turned the hall to go to the communal bathrooms, and saw her former and current student facing off. "Bakugo, we really need to work on your inside voice," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

"He won't tell me where the fucking shower is," Bakugo responded, all while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the offensive palm.

"Dabi?" She questioned, feeling very much like a parent as she collected both sides of the story.

"He won't say please." The young adult reasoned.

"Bakugo, say please."

"No."

"Then keep using the bucket."

"It's full."

"Then look on your own."

"I have been, you old hag."

Maki felt no inclination to intervene any further, but she did anyway. She walked right between the pair and in doing so, forced Dabi to put his hand down and step away from Bakugo. "Sigaraki said we're going to start hunting heroes."

Bakugo couldn't hide the shock from his face. As for Maki, she barely did any better. Her face betrayed her surprise and disapproval at the turn in events. "What happened trying to get the public into a frenzy?"

Dabi felt a small victory at her hesitation. "Hero deaths certainly accomplish that. Innocent civilians will be less likely to come into the crossfire."

Maki frowned. "Name two people in this entire building who give a fuck about civilians."

"You and this twerp, of course. That's why you'll both be left behind."

"What happened to you purging the world of false heroes?"

Dabi smirked and walked on. "I've moved beyond that."


	7. Filmed

**Filmed**

* * *

Maki wondered if there was a message in Dabi's murder of a guy with a sand quirk. There was always the possibility that Snatch had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but she couldn't help but feel it was a threat. Shigraki was in full gloat mode. "Heroes really are pathetic. They go through all the trouble of training and jumping through hoops to get licenses and agencies, but look at how easily we killed one!" Bakugo gritted his teeth, but forced himself not to say anything. Everyone was gathered in the cafeteria for celebratory drinks. They poured one for him, despite his age.

"We should aim higher!" Twice declared with a beer in hand. "Let's go for their number one hero." There were shouts of agreement and encouragement from all but Bakugo, Dabi, and Maki.

Shigaraki failed to notice. "We could set a trap," he declared thoughtfully. "Maki, how would you feel about posing as a damsel in distress?" There was a knowing look in his eye that she didn't like.

 _He knows._ Even after going through the trouble of a disguise, she figured they'd matched her quirks to the records and discovered her identity. In hindsight, it was a simple process that anyone with government access could do. "Toga looks more the part. Heroes don't rush as fast after old women." Her interest in pushing his buttons had severely waned. It had been four days. Every morning, when she and Bakugo trained, the two took out their frustrations on one another. Her attempt to fit in had been poor at best. In a remarkably short time, the League of Villains had become her captors. She thought she was adaptable and resilient, but she'd never had someone watch her so relentlessly. If not for Kurogiri and Dabi, the two threats against her, she would have considered mounting an attack.

"Sometimes, they do." Shigaraki insisted quietly. Unrestrained malice dripped from his tone. "But you're right. Toga can do the part. Then we don't need your compliance - just some blood." There was confusion around them. The League members turned to look at Maki carefully. Finally, Shigaraki decided to share her identity. "We have the pleasure of being joined by none other than Endeavor's older sister, a hick farmer, Teiko Todoroki."

 _Icy Hot's aunt. So if Patchface is her kid, then they're cousins, right?_ Bakugo wondered. He felt everyone's eyes on them, as he sat beside his mentor. Compared to the crazies in the bunker, she was essentially the shiniest turd.

"I don't see any resemblance." Spinner said while he looked her over.

"She dyed and cut her hair," Shigaraki lazily tossed a photo of Teiko on the table. It must have been a screenshot from a camera right outside the salon, right before she'd attempted her disguise. Though the quality wasn't the best, it was undeniably her. "The question becomes, _why_?"

Shigaraki was far more intelligent than she gave him credit for. "I didn't think I'd be as well received if I came in looking like Endeavor with tits." There was sudden laughter at her joke. She played it off so easily, the lie came naturally. Without Dabi's suggestion, she would have left her appearance alone. Shigaraki probably knew his true identity as well, but seemed content to keep calling him Dabi.

"If you want to be well received, then help us kill your brother. Your part will be simple. We'll feed you your lines from cue cards and all you have to do is look like you're in trouble. Mister Compress will film. If you're unable to be convincing, Toga is an astounding actress, she'll fill in for you. We'll give you another part in his demise." He tossed a tube at Teiko. "Go fix your appearance. _Now_."

Teiko obediently caught the small box. Of course, it was dye, back to her natural color. "So red," Toga purred from just behind her. The blonde seemed to have been summoned by the promise of future cutting. _Fuck, that bitch is creepy_. Bakugo jerked away and stood. He went back to his room, as there was no better place for him to be.

Toga proved to be an expert at dying hair. Once the master of disguise had righted Teiko's appearance, the woman held out her arm. "Take the blood, then. As I said, I'm not actress."

Toga seemed unable to resist the offer. She jumped up at once and sliced an incredibly sharp knife over Teiko's forearm. An excited blush crept to her face as she watched the crimson flow. Teiko struggled not to automatically light the girl on fire, but kept her posture as casual as she could. Toga collected two vials full, stoppered them, and skipped out of the room as carefree and joyous as a child.

Teiko shuffled through her drawer and pulled out some medical tape, which she wrapped around her left forearm. There was a knock at her door. "Who is it?"

Dabi stepped through. For once, he looked determined, almost eager. He had Bakugo behind him and all but shoved the teen into the room. "Shigaraki has decided on your parts in dealing with Endeavor." He stared at Teiko intently, almost ignoring the blonde. "You and Bakugo will be the ones to kill him, so you can prove that you're one of us."

"I never said I was one of you, dumbass." Bakugo growled hatefully.

"If you refuse, then you two will be the stars of our future films, after Midoriya and Shoto."

Bakugo felt his blood run cold. Teiko, on the other hand, was the one to explode. "So kill my brother or my nephew? What kind of shit is that?"

Dabi grinned. "The decision isn't all that hard. One way you're doing what you should have done years ago. The other way, you're endangering a child." The black haired man turned and walked out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, Teiko decided it was time to pull out her cell phone. "They can't-" Bakugo began. Teiko placed her false fingerprint over her thumb and unlocked the screen.

"New rules, kid. They can and _will_ do anything."

A void opened and stole her phone. She had to flinch away as it suddenly closed, or else she would've lost her hand. "Ah fuck." Teiko had played right into their hands. After all the effort she'd expounded into protecting what few contacts she had, the League of Villains snapped it away without a thought.

Only then did the door lock. Bakugo charged and pounded on the wood. "Hey! I've got to use the bathroom."

* * *

Kurogiri handed the stolen phone to Shigaraki. "Yes, this will do nicely," he said as he switched to camera mode. Toga had drank Teiko's blood and appeared as her double, restored red hair and all. There was a gag in her mouth and plenty of quiet desperation on her face. "You have twenty four hours to show up, or else I can't make any promises for what will happen to her." Shigaraki didn't need to post to a hosting site. He was able to send the message directly to the hero's cell. "You can bring your brat, but otherwise, you'd best be alone." The recording ended.

Shigaraki sent the address of their meeting point, deep into a slew of abandoned buildings, in a separate message. As an afterthought, Shigaraki sent the video and same directions to Shoto as well. The plan wouldn't work very well with just one of the Todoroki heroes.


	8. The Results

**The Results**

* * *

The day after the 1-A students passed their examinations; a high profile hero was murdered. "Not Snatch," Iida gasped, unable to comprehend why they'd target such a blameless man.

"Anyone's fair game," Shoto said quietly. The students hated the reality that the targets had spread from All Might to every living hero.

Izuku couldn't believe it. _Even Stain had more morals than them_. The Hero Killer had been willing enough to let Izuku live. Then again, he had attacked Ingenium, Iida's selfless and faultless brother. The teen sat just above his chair, his body trembling with the effort, and tried to keep studying. _I don't have All Might anymore. I'll have to get into an agency on my own merits._ He had to keep his grades as close to the top as he could, even as the world disintegrated into anarchy around him.

* * *

Four days passed before Shoto finally caved and sent the first text to his silent aunt. Maybe years of living on a farm had made her unaware of how to respond to anything other than a phone call. Surely such a basic message would illicit a response.

 **I passed my provisional license.**

He set the mobile screen-down and completed his homework. Shinso sat with Asui, the one student who didn't think of him as Bakugo's replacement, and Uraka and Ashido, who followed Asui out of an attempt to be nice. Together, the three girls made an attempt to buffer Shinso from any of their more savage classmates. Though Kirishima hadn't said or done anything cruel, he gave Shinso the cold shoulder and went out of his way to be seen ignoring him. Iida was the only one to call Kirishima's actions out as unheroic, but the rest of the class seemed to feel varying levels of silent resentment for the teen.

Shoto was when his text got an immediate answer. Instead of a simple 'congratulations', she had decided to send something different. He saw a video awaiting him and excused himself to listen privately. He left his books on the table and walked towards Izuku's corner of the common area. The shot began in a dark, dimly lit room. Shoto wondered if the video had been an accidental shooting, but he became curious when he heard a low voice. At the same moment, he saw his aunt with a gag in her mouth and her arms bound behind her back. She sat on a sturdy looking metal chair, one she probably couldn't break. Her hair was shorter, but it was definitely Teiko. _"You have twenty four hours to show up, or else I can't make any promises for what will happen to her. You can bring your brat, but otherwise, you'd best be alone._ " By the third word, Izuku recognized the voice and shot out of his seat.

"Shigaraki," Izuku muttered once the playback was done.

Shoto remembered the man's voice from the attack on the USJ. For the first time since he moved into the dorms, Shoto called his aunt. The phone went straight to voicemail. Next, he tried his father. "Dad," he said at once.

There was no answering greeting. Enji had just finished the video. "Did they send you the video, too?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

"Wait, Shoto." Enji said firmly. "You're not coming."

"Shigaraki said-"

"I know what he said!" Enji thundered in return. "Use your head, son. It's obviously a trap, so you won't be joining me."

"They'll kill her!" Shoto shouted. He rapidly felt himself losing his cool. His left side burned with fire. By now, all of his classmates stared at him. "I have my license now. I can help you do something about it!"

"Your school already contacted me, Shoto. If you act recklessly, you'll be expelled from UA. You are _not_ to do _a thing_." Enji hung up, leaving Shoto to his rage.

Shoto felt helpless and infuriated. Izuku had heard everything, but the rest of the class was ignorant. "Hey, everything okay?" Ojiro asked cautiously. Shoto knew that if he revealed what was happening, it'd put his classmates in an awkward spot.

"Yeah. Fine." Shoto answered shortly. He slammed his books shut and abandoned his studies in favor of storming out of the room. Izuku stood and followed, as did Kirishima. After their failed attempt to rescue Bakugo, the three had settled into an unlikely friendship, while Iida and Momo seemed to pair off into perpetual study buddies. Once they were free from listening ears, Izuku put his hand on his new friend's shoulder.

"Shoto, are you _really_ going to talk to Aizawa?" The promise of expulsion loomed for any rule-breakers. With UA's image in the dirt and All Might dead, schools had to be even more strict with their heroes in training.

Kirishima was lost. "What the hell happened?"

Shoto shrugged off Izuku's grip and kept walking. "The League has my aunt, who practically raised me. My dear old dad says he won't let me do a thing." Where normal people would have cried, he felt a cold fury sweep through his being. "If I have to choose between expulsion and saving my aunt, there's really no question which avenue to take."

Kirishima blocked Shoto's path. "Don't be an idiot, Todoroki. We've done this before. Even with five of us, we couldn't even save Bakugo." Though it stung to say, he pushed through. "How can you expect to save her?" Kirishima saw the anger behind Shoto's eyes. "Look, man, we need to think of a plan."

"There's only twenty three hours left to act. They sent the meeting point."

"See? This is all great stuff to show the pros." Kirishima felt he was getting a better grasp on the situation. "Let's do what you said, let's show Aizawa. Pros can get a lot done in that time."

"Shigaraki said it could only be me and my dad, no one else."

Kirishima was at a loss, so he shrugged. "Look, your current idea is to rush in and get caught. It's not great, but let's keep that as a plan B. Midoriya, help me out, here."

Izuku had a serious look on his face. He had listened to every word and judged carefully what he wanted to do. "She was your mentor?" He felt the pain of losing All Might as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. Shoto nodded. "Then we have to do everything we can. Forward the message to Aizawa, then me. I'll send it to Gran Torino and see what he thinks." If he could help it, Izuku would keep his friend from suffering such a devastating loss. _Maybe they'll have Bakugo, too._ He didn't want to get his hopes up, but the idea lingered.

Kirishima had been taken on as an intern under a hero named Fatgum. "Send it to me, too. I'll see what Fatgum says. We can't have too many heads on this one." Shoto did as they asked. The video started with Endeavor and Shoto, only to be extended to Izuku and Kirishima, then Fatgum and Gran Torino. Fatgum called within minutes, his voice an explosive shout.

Gran Torino was a teacher, so he showed up in person. The petite hero literally ran down the hall at jet-speed. "Under no circumstance are you to go anywhere near there, Midoriya," Gran Torino said firmly once he'd slowed.

Aizawa arrived in the swifter man's wake, his eyes more bloodshot than usual, even though it was only ten at night. "I called Endeavor's office, he's already gone. I don't care if villains gave you permission, Shoto, you're to stay here." Aizawa knew that by sending the teen the video, they had essentially targeted Shoto. He heard Fatgum's familiar voice over the phone and held his hand out to Kirishima. "Fatgum," Aizawa said, "please come and watch the students. This could be a trap to breech through UA's defenses again."

 _We did everything we were supposed to do, but I still feel like we lost._ Izuku looked carefully at Shoto, who appeared downright murderous. _He probably feels it, too._

"I have my license. My father's there, my aunt's there. I _need_ to go."

Aizawa took the time to look at the young hero. He hung up Kirishima's phone and gave it back. "Shoto," he said once, if only to get the teen's attention. "Thank you for the show of trust." His eyes slid to Izuku, "even if it was all Midoriya's idea, but you won't be joining us."

"I've defeated them before, back at the USJ," he pointed out. All Shoto wanted to do was get his costume and haul off to the location. "We're wasting time!" Though normally cool and aloof, anything dealing with family was a trigger for the boy.

"We're not wasting time, _you're_ wasting _my_ time. You will stay here. I'll go and do the best I can to bring everyone home safely." Aizawa knew the conversation would likely spiral from there, so he turned and departed.

* * *

Endeavor paced in his room after the phone call. He wasn't surprised that the first talk Shoto had bothered to initiate centered around his aunt, but that didn't stop the hero from feeling disappointed. Like Shoto, his first instinct was to call Teiko's cell. There was no answer, but he'd expected as much. The pro ignited his mask of fire and left the room. He wrote the address of the point on a large whiteboard and spoke to the suits that organized his heroes' missions. "In exactly one hour, a stealth mission to this point will begin. Pull everyone off their cases and send them these coordinates. The League of Villains has taken a hostage and plan to trap me at that point. I'll go and look as if I'm complying. If my location changes, you'll alert your heroes at once." There would be no need to evacuate, as the point was in a known area full of collapsed and abandoned buildings.

It was the spot of All Might's last stand. Endeavor's underlings would have to work together to manage keeping hidden, as most of the structures were blown away. Nothing but an empty clearing remained, as a memoir to All Might. There was talk of erecting a statue in his honor and changing the urban area to a park, but nothing had been done in the time since his death.

He had a tracker located on the inside of his outfit, just beneath his belt and fireproof costume to prevent it from being ignited. There, the well armored bit of machinery allowed his workers to know exactly where he was. In cases where he needed to go alone, all he had to do was nudge the button on his belt and backup would be notified. Since having it installed, he'd only used it once – at All Might's final stand.

Endeavor left his cell phone, as it'd only be a distraction. Considering he was knowingly going to a trap, he didn't need it. _They have a warp, so they probably won't kill me there. They'll probably take me somewhere hidden so back up won't be able to reach me in time._ At first, he'd been surprised to see his sister as a victim, but her sudden departure made too much sense.

 _So she's been kidnapped all along._ The thought was infuriating. _They probably threatened Shoto and me and she's stopped doing what they want. The idiot must have gone onto some chats and talked about how she disliked the hero society, so she was scouted._ He got into his elevator and rode down to the garage. _She's not extreme enough for those idiots, so they need leverage against her. They probably want to kill one of us as an example and keep the other alive as a threat. My head's probably on the chopping block. Shoto's younger and more impressionable, so it'd make sense if they kept him as the hostage._ He'd dealt with too much shit not to think cryptically. Endeavor took a discreet, navy blue car. On the outside it looked like a luxury vehicle with tinted windows. There was nothing visually extraordinary about it.

Inside, he had booster buttons, net buttons, autopilot, and heated seats. Endeavor pulled out swiftly. Though he was sure they wouldn't really kill Teiko, he didn't want to risk it. He drove out of the garage to a startlingly dark night. A warpgate swooped in and claimed his entire vehicle.


	9. Level Four

**Level Four**

* * *

 _No mercy ahead. Plunge into this chapter at your own risk. The chapter name itself is plenty of a warning, but I'll be nice and let you know._

* * *

Quirk Gyms were the perfect places to fight. Their metallic mixed, one-way glass, metal floors, and line of bleachers outside the hockey-sized, fully covered arena made for a cage that was nearly indestructible. Though people could see in, the participants couldn't see out. Dabi stood in the center of the rink just in time for a car delivery. To the side, Teiko and Bakugo had metal shackles on their hands and matching masks to keep them from talking or getting in the way. Shigaraki and Kurogiri stood guard beside them.

Dabi set his hand on the hood and lowered the heat of his flames. He had waited years for this, so he wanted to be sure to enjoy it. Sluggish blue embers lazily infiltrated the engine, rendering the car useless. Shigaraki said to Kurogiri. "This is going rather well," the leader declared proudly. "Fire users sure are dependable hot-heads." Not only had they planned on Endeavor rushing into battle. They'd counted on it. Even bound and as hostages, Teiko and Bakugo proved Shigaraki's point by making futile attempts to struggle and escape, even with their bound legs. "Be sure to check in the back seat, Dabi. Did he bring his brat with him?"

Endeavor blasted the door off his car and lunged from the vehicle. He threw off two long blasts of fire aimed neatly at Kurogiri and Shigaraki, as they were proven masterminds of the League of Villains. Dabi swiftly blocked both attempts and shot off his own sapphire flames in turn. Shigaraki walked carelessly forward, decayed one of the back windows, and glanced around the cab. "Geeze, Endeavor, _you had one job_." Endeavor turned quickly to survey the battlefield, all while keeping an eye on Dabi. _There's Teiko and Bakugo. If I can get rid of those restrains, I'll have two more on m_ y side. _They're guarded by the void user.._.

"Your fight's with me, Todoroki Enji," Dabi taunted. He jumped in close and took advantage of the hero's apparent distraction. Endeavor swung his flaming fist squarely into the young man's jaw. The hit collapsed Twice's clone into mud.

"Over here," the real Dabi said. He hadn't moved from the center of the arena.

 _When did he…?_ A blast of fire interrupted Endeavor's thoughts. He abandoned the sludge puddle and rushed Dabi with bull-like speed and precision. Dabi seemed to stand his ground, but ducked away at the last possible second. He put his hand just below Endeavor's armpit and attempted to set the hero ablaze. Naturally, Endeavor recoiled backwards and drew his fist back. A cold, unexpected grasp cupped his arm. Five fingers ringed about Endeavor's elbow. He felt his costume decay first, then the flesh beneath it almost immediately afterwards. The hero used his left hand to grab the top of Shigaraki's head and throw him across the room. Dabi took advantage of the opening and put a blaze on the newly injured joint.

The raw, exposed flesh made his useless forearm dangle on his upper arm by only a splinter of bone Dabi's final attack disintegrated the attachment and made his joint sever. The wound was cauterized instantly, so not a drop of blood escaped. Though he could fight with his left, he wasn't nearly as efficient. His only chance was to free the hostages.

"What a champ. You didn't even cry," Shigaraki complimented.

Endeavor's retreat was clumsy and predictable. For whatever reason, Shigaraki and Dabi allowed it. In hindsight, Kurogiri's lack of defense should have been a deciding factor.

The box was soundproof, so Enji couldn't hear the real Teiko struggling on the audience's side. _No! You idiot! No!_ _ **Go back!**_ She wanted to scream, but she wore the same bonds as Toga, the fake-her. Bakugo was copied by Twice. Teiko pulled through the air with her earth quirk, but only managed to find a pathetically small pile of dirt and a few pebbles. In the end, she jammed the earth's meager offerings into hers and Bakugo's locks with her terrakinesis and hoped that somehow she'd allow at least one of them to escape. Magne held Bakugo and her back to back and unable to pull away. Their ankles had been left unbound so they could be moved easily enough, with Kurogiri occupied inside the rink. When the locks didn't budge, Teiko used one of the pebbles like a bullet.

Bakugo could feel the woman tremble with rage. Hell, she could probably feel the same from him, but it wasn't enough to make him a murderer. He said he'd kill everyone, but never imagined himself capable of it. He was horrified to see a pebble zoom roughly against Magne's head. It hit him with a sickening clack before knocking the man out cold. The magnetism that had held Bakugo and Teiko together shattered. Twice and Toga were in the ring. Mister Compress and Spinner were the only two left.

Bakugo rushed Mister Compress. Even without his explosions from his hands, he still had his feet. He propelled himself over to the bleachers and head butted the magician before he even knew what had happened. Compress dropped like a rock, leaving only Spinner. Spinner drew one of his throwing knives and tossed it at Bakugo. The boy ducked and dodged. While Spinner's attention was on the teenager, Teiko charged him and used her forearm to pin the reptilian fellow against the wall. She held him there, her strength and adrenaline far exceeding his. She looked from Mister Compress to Spinner again meaningfully. They both knew she asked him to get the keys. To make her threat real, she used her quirk to lift the impromptu bullet from Magne's body and dangle it in front of him.

Spinner was not willing to die for the League. He revered Stain above all else and didn't see his act as betrayal as cowardice, only a way to one day release Stain from prison.

"Okay, okay," he said appeasingly, his arms lifting from his weapons to display themselves over his head. He went to the limp body of his colleague, retrieved the keys, and unlocked Bakugo first. The teen instantly wanted to attack, but a stern look from Teiko rooted him to the spot. Spinner released the woman, who nodded, releasing Bakuog from his stillness. Bakugo punched Spinner in the throat and the man dropped to his knees. "Find the exit. It should be that door, right there!" She pointed to the left. If this Quirk Gym was like the others, then that was sure to be it.

In the thirty seconds it took for Teiko and Bakugo to get free, Endeavor had been dropped to the ground and had his other arm removed in the same sickening way as the first. Toga sat on his back and poked a needle with suction into the side of his neck. She made kissing noises as the contraption slurped Endeavor's blood, her pale face reddened with excitement. Teiko couldn't wait to see if the teen obeyed. She used her fire to try to break the doors open. For all her efforts, the entry remained unaffected.

Though they had won on their side, there wasn't a thing they could do to help her brother.

An incredibly short man with grey hair darted from where Teiko assumed the exit would be. "Bakugo!" Gran Torino shouted. "Teiko!" Some part of her wondered how he knew her name, or who he was, but she continued to assault the door.

Far away, in the safety of his lair, Giran had overridden the gym's system and had the contestants Dabi and Endeavor fighting a level four battle. He smirked as he watched the desperate attempts on both sides. Shigaraki would win his battle, and Teiko would lose hers. Even if the gyms shut down, he could sell the footage of Endeavor's demise to the media for a hefty sum.

Fire wasn't cutting it, so she'd have to use her other element. "Is there dirt outside?" She demanded of the elder.

"What? Yes, of course-" Gran Torino began, only for Teiko to run off.

Bakugo wanted to look away, but some sort of morbid curiosity made him watch as Dabi and Shigaraki handicapped the back of Endeavor's legs and the hero dropped to his knees. He didn't go to the exit. He got sick of just watching and began to throw his explosions at the window, as if somehow they'd do more than Teiko's fire. "Damn it! Open up, you fucks!"

Kamui Woods, Aizawa, and Midnight were just about to enter. Midnight saw someone exiting and thought it was a villain. "Stay back!" She warned Aizawa and Kamui. The woman pulled back a portion of her outfit to release a sleeping mist into the air. Teiko slowed, stumbled, and dropped to the ground. "Hey, it's the woman from the video. Gran Torino managed to get in that fast?"

Aizawa knew there was no way it could've been that easy. "Kamui, take her to the police and come back as soon as you can." There was no guarantee they could get Bakugo, but at the very least they could rescue Endeavor's sister.

"Right." Kamui gathered the red-head in his branches and did just that. While he moved one way, Midnight and Aizawa moved deeper into the Quirk Gym. Aizawa saw Dabi and Endeavor's names on the monitor in a level four battle. Though he knew of Quirk Gyms and that it was impossible for them to override the system without an electric user, he knew they couldn't merely spectate the sickening brutality inside.

Bakugo continued to fire at the glass. Gran Torino jumped around the arena and searched for a weak point. Inside, Shigaraki, Toga, Kurogiri, Twice, and Dabi were gathered around Endeavor. The blonde had since pulled her needle from the side of his neck and retreated to the side. Though Bakugo saw their lips move, but couldn't determine what was being said.

"Well," Shigaraki said with a pleased beam on his lipless mouth. "It seems to me like it's time to call Teiko and Bakugo in to deliver the final blow."

Toga manually punched in a code to open the door. Inside each arena was an escape route, though the exteriors boasted no such override. A second later, Bakugo's quirk exploded in her face. "It's an ambush!" Toga shouted at once and darted back with her group. Shigaraki didn't let the news dampen his spirits. "Good, then let's take him down a few pegs. Since he won't join us, let's give him _the Endeavor treatment_."

Bakugo wanted to go and fight them, but Aizawa managed to grab the back of the impulsive boy's shirt. "Don't be stupid. Anyone who goes in there won't get out." He hated to leave Endeavor, but it would be suicide to try. The door was on a timer, so it slid shut shortly after. Eraserhead couldn't get his eyes on them long enough to even erase any quirks.


	10. From the Ashes

**From the Ashes**

* * *

 _Continued ruthlessness ahead._

* * *

From beyond the door, the remaining members of the League of Villains warped away to safety. They moved easily from the underground bunker to another just like it at a Quirk Gym hours away. Kurogiri took the bodies of their comrades with them. Shigaraki was torn between elation from their near perfect victory and fury from their lost captives. "Well, Dabi, it appears we'll have to make them come to us," the leader declared in a giddy tone. This was a new venture to set his mind to, and he doubted it would be a challenge.

He looked at the unconscious Magne and Mister Compress. Spinner told the tale of how their prisoners had escaped. The only reason Spinner was able to speak was thanks to their newly captured and crippled number one hero. "She threatened me with the same pebble she'd used to knock out friend. If I didn't let her out, she would've done the same to me."

"I'm not sure how to rank this. Is it two points to the heroes?" Endeavor remained on his knees. "Or would you say that's one point to us, because we have you?" Shigaraki kicked Endeavor in the stomach and watched with clear satisfaction as the massive man bowed over and wretched. "Hey! I'm asking you a question!" He cackled and slammed his foot into the hero's gut once more. Endeavor leaned forward and vomited, just as Shoto had back when he was a child.

Dabi relished every ounce of his father's pain. He wasn't surprised that Teiko and Bakugo had escaped, but found he didn't care. Everything he wanted was here. The weakened and broken ox of a man was hunched before him, completely at his mercy. Dabi leaned down and spoke softly in his ear. "Come on, Enji Todoroki. Is this really the best you have to offer? Or do you only take beating six year olds seriously?"

His mind clung to the suddenly familiar voice. Before, he'd been blinded by the blemished skin and dyed hair. In that moment, he knew that his supposedly flamed out son was very much alive. The revelation was not a comfortable one. Even physically broken, he resolved not to call the monster of a man by his birth name. Endeavor's mask of fire had been extinguished, but the fury within him began to build the flames again. He longed to stand, to punch, to do anything more than hunch over like a worm, but he was a quadriplegic until something could be done about his legs.

"Have your fun, Dabi," Shigaraki decided. When they had originally stolen Teiko's phone, they removed her lock screen. "Once you're done, we'll attempt negotiations."

* * *

The rest of Endeavor's team arrived too late to help. The Quirk Gym was shut down for police surveillance. Midnight put Bakugo to sleep and rode with them to the police station. Both Bakugo and Teiko had rubbed their skin raw from struggling with their cuffs and the teen had small scabs in his back from their first spar, but they had no other injuries. Bakugo had refused to go quietly, as expected, so Midnight had to put him to sleep as well. When Teiko and Bakugo awakened, their answers were painfully bland, despite their separate questionings.

"Where were you?"

Teiko said, "Beneath a quirk gym"

While Bakugo answered, "In a dark place, surrounded by scum."

"What were you doing with the League of Villans?" The police asked.

"They threatened my family if I didn't comply," said the woman.

"Are you fucking retarded?" Came Bakugo's response.

"What are their goals?"

"They want to sew discord and change society. They're going to target more heroes."

"They didn't tell me anything, idiot. I was their fucking hostage. If I had to use my eyes, I'd say they were fucking kidnappers and shit-stirrers!" When they could get no more from Bakugo, they gathered what little information Teiko would give.

When they finished, the former hostages' guests were allowed to enter. Shoto, Izuku, and Kirishima all but broke down the door in their haste to enter. "Bakugo!" mixed with "Kacchan!" as Izuku and Kirishima rushed forward and hugged their friend. Surprisingly, Bakugo allowed such a show of affection, if only for a moment. "Let go, you damn twerps!" Shoto looked as if he wanted to reach to his aunt, but wasn't sure how it would be received. Teiko chuckled and reached to embrace her proud nephew instead.

They all broke apart and Midoriya instantly filled them in, "Aizawa spoke with the police and they've decided that the safest place for you is UA, Kacchan."

"You'll have to share rooms with me, but we'll make it work, eh, roomie?" Kirishima had tears in his eyes.

Against his better judgment, so did Bakugo. "Eh? Dorms? Shared? How lame." There was an uncomfortable moment where Izuku and Kirishima looked at each other. "Eh?" Bakugo asked. He expected them to elaborate, but they didn't. "Don't leave me in the dark, Nerd!" He channeled his frustration on Izuku. "What's going on, Deku?"

"Oh-it's nothing," Izuku stammered. Teiko noticed how the boy's hands automatically shifted, as if to protect himself. In the twelve days she'd spent with the blonde, she didn't think Izuku's response was all that unreasonable. "But…" he rubbed his head. "UA didn't know when you'd be coming back…so they gave your spot to Shinso. Kirishima agreed to share rooms, so Mister Aizawa will just have a bigger class this one time. It's not a big deal."

Bakugo's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Eh?! I'm the only one that has to share?"

"Yeah. I wanted to give you my room," he began to poke his index fingers together, "but—"

"No buts, Deku! Give me your room!"

Aizawa finished talking and broke through the argument. "Oi." The single word got the teens to shut up. "Shoto, you can have ten minutes with your aunt, then we have to go."

"Why can't she come?" He had just gotten her back from a terrible situation. Though his aunt didn't look to be worse for wear, there was hardness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. On some level, he felt it in his own heart.

"She's not a student. She'll stay here at the police station until-"

"Until she's taken again?" Shoto asked with a calm fury. "If UA is safest for Bakugo, why isn't it for her? Surely you have some job that needs filled."

Teiko knew better than to say she was going back to the villains anyway. As long as her brother lived, she had to try.

"She'd make one hell of a teacher." The unexpected praise stemmed from Bakugo.

Aizawa wanted to crush the idea at once. "She can't be. She doesn't have a license."

"Then let her take the damn test," Bakugo sneered. "Ask Half and Half. She's been teaching him for years."

Shoto considered the teachers at UA. Aizawa hesitated, then relented. After all, it may have only been Teiko's quick thinking that allowed them to rescue Bakugo. "If you'd like, you can return with us and speak with Principal Nezu, but you'll be under my constant supervision."

Teiko didn't like her options. She had two clear paths before her. One way, she could become a vigilante and retrieve her brother, who likely wouldn't survive his injuries. By the time the League was done with him, he'd only be fit for an asylum or burial. Or she could become a teacher and help those that were living. If she were to get her license sooner rather than later, she may be able to join pros on a rescue mission. Now that the adrenaline had faded, she had to force herself to use logic. "I'll speak to Nezu."

After that, their trip was simple. Aizawa drove a large van with a hero named Snipe sitting shotgun. Izuku, Bakugo, and Kirishima sat in the middle row, while Shoto and Teiko claimed the back seats. Their journey back consisted of silence among the Todoroki and chatter between the three friends in front of them. Teiko wondered if the league would leave her be, now that they had her brother and no longer needed her to teach Bakugo. They could easily let her escape, as she knew precious little of any of them or their abilities. Everything she'd told Bakugo about Giran and the Quirk Gyms had been things she'd been able to deduce on her own, with a handful of points confirmed by subtle eavesdropping. In the end, she decided it didn't truly matter. Even if the League had taken her off their list, she had to save her little brother.

Once they arrived at the school and slid out of the van, Shoto and Teiko moved back from the pack. Snipe accompanied the boys, but Aizawa followed behind the Todoroki, as if the two might try to escape. They were alone enough that Shoto finally asked the questions that had been lingering in is mind. "How long were you with the League of Villains?"

"I was never _with_ the League." She corrected a bit more sharply than she'd intended. The sun had begun to set, which meant they'd wasted their entire day with questioning and allowing the police to do their work.

"Why did they take you?" Shoto pressed.

"One of their members, Dabi, used to be a student of mine. He somehow thought I'd be able to rewire Bakugo into seeing things from the League's point of view, even though I don't agree with them myself."

Shoto felt taken aback by how little of his aunt's past he knew. "Was this back on the farm?"

"No, Shoto. It was Toya." She knew it was time to tell him the truth.

"You said Toya was…"

"Was gone," she confirmed. "After the accident, his entire personality changed. I didn't want your father to find him in the hospital, so I used Toya's alias, Dabi."

Shoto felt like he didn't want to know more, but at the same time he drank in every detail.

"You spent all this time letting me think my brother was dead." By the time he'd spoken, they entered the building.

Teiko knew Aizawa was behind them, listening to every word. She'd likely have to explain a few things, but for now he was a silent audience. "Is the reality any better, Shoto?"

Minutes passed. They reached the edge of the empty cafeteria while he reflected on the knowledge from as many angles as he could. "No," he finally answered. "It isn't." Shoto went to the dinner line out of habit. He had no appetite and doubted anything he'd eaten would have any taste. Since he'd received the video, he lost a father, regained a brother, and lost trust in his aunt, the most steadfast guardian he'd ever known. He wrestled with the idea of calling his mother, but the thought was quickly abandoned. Rei had relapsed after learning about Toya's flame-out. She had torn her room apart and wallowed for months on how she had failed her family. She had slammed the door in Teiko's face and called her friend a traitor for allowing Enji to kill her son.

When Rei eventually had allowed Teiko to visit again, she couldn't make eye contact with her. Their friendship had been destroyed beyond repair, and Teiko stopped seeing her eldest friend altogether.

"Todoroki?"

When Shoto tuned back to the world, he had a tray of food in his hands and sat across the table from the group he came with. He jerked his head around and looked for the adults. "Where are Aizawa and Aunt Teiko?" The seats were empty, as dinner had ended half an hour before and most students were studying, training, or participating in internships.

Izuku had been the one to pull his friend from the stupor. "They left without getting anything."

Bakugo, on the other hand, had two trays and was shoving food in his mouth as if he hadn't had a meal in days. Shoto began to stand. "The old broad's fine. Eat your damn food, Bastard." Bakugo made himself focus on the meal, and not the vision of Endeavor's dismemberment that loomed at the back of his mind. He made himself talk to Kirishima, and even Deku, as distractions. "After a few days of her boot camp, I realized you're not that good, Half and Half."

Shoto was in no mood to have his pride questioned. He glared at Bakugo.

Katsuki smirked. "Maybe she was saving all the good stuff for me. If we fought now, I could destroy you."

Shoto's only answer was to give a humorless glare. Of all the things the teens could focus on, Bakugo decided to point out that he'd been a star student? Ice began to crystalize on Shoto's right side. "What's wrong with you, Man?" Kirishima asked Bakugo.

Izuku frowned. "Kacchan, now is not the time—"

" _Shut up, Deku!_ I hate it when you talk." Bakugo wouldn't admit his tactic. _This is_ exactly _the time to make Todoroki think about something else._ The teen pushed his emptied plates onto the table. "Deku, make yourself useful and go find a teacher. We need access to the strongest building or biggest field they've got."


	11. Back to Blows

**Back to Blows**

* * *

Thirteen knew about Endeavor's kidnapping and Bakugo's recent homecoming. Though Aizawa was their homeroom teacher, she allowed them to use the USJ for their fight, so long as the boys kept their destruction to a reasonable amount. With her black hole, she could get rid of any excess ice or contain fires if needed. Kirishima had blabbed to class 1-A, who came in droves to watch two of their strongest students in a rematch. Thirteen made them stand out of the way of potential projectiles, but allowed the audience.

They mutually agreed on the landslide zone, where they could stand on solid ground and not have to worry about too much property damage. "Ready? G _o_!" Thirteen chopped her hand downwards through the air. Shoto and Katsuki sprang, both aiming for the first attack. Shoto began as he had before; with a wall of ice. Bakugo reciprocated by blasting a tunnel through. "You really haven't learned a thing, have you?" He figured they were setting up the rematch from the old playing field.

Shoto used the sound of Bakugo's voice to anticipate where the blonde would arrive. He waited precisely at the presumed exit point. Seconds later, the ice melted. Before Bakugo could see him, Shoto used his straightened left arm to release a blast of fire. Ice toppled down around Bakugo and would have crushed the teen, if not for some well-timed explosions.

The class braced themselves for the flying ice chunks, but Tokoyami's Dark Shadow lifted to cover them, strengthened by the setting sun. "Does Todoroki seem unhinged to anyone else?" Sero asked.

"Maybe this is a homecoming gift for Bakugo?" Iida ventured.

The video had been sent on private phones, so the media had no idea that Endeavor was missing or that the League had lost its hostages. None of them had access to the garage, so they didn't even know that Bakugo had been released. As a rule, the police made sure to keep reporters from their station and had several secret exits for their higher profile cases. Of the students, only he and Kirishima knew what was going on. Only Kirishima, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Midoriya knew Teiko had even been a hostage.

Bakugo wouldn't go down so easily. He used his explosions to dash through the rain of debris. His precise aim and nearly perfect dexterity had him on Shoto far quicker than his opponent expected. Bakugo approached from Shoto's left, which naturally inclined the teen to use his fire. He lifted his hand and couldn't help but think of his father. In that moment of hesitation, Bakugo puched Shoto in the face. " _Again, Todoroki?_ " He landed on his feet, but ceased in his attack. "You were using your damn flames at the training camp? What happened? Are you a fucking quitter? _Huh?_ " He thought of Endeavor's forearm as it dangled from the splinter of bone. "Are you a coward, Todoroki?!" He recalled Endeavor on his knees. A powerful hero, made to lay low. He remembered All Might's body – so thoroughly decimated that it looked like a pile of raw eggs, paint, and bone. Bakugo couldn't help but begin to cry. Though he had wanted to distract Todoroki, Katsuki felt he'd needed an outlet. "Are you looking down on me?" The last statement came as a desperate question that required no answer.

"Why didn't my dad come back with you?" Shoto knew that Katsuki knew.

"There are some things you can't come back from." It was cryptic, and not an answer he would have taken well if someone delivered it to him, but it was far better than the whole, unaltered truth. Even though he felt as if it hadn't been a true victory, Bakugo turned and left Todoroki. He walked past his class with deliberate slowness, while not making eye contact with a single one of them.

Of course Izuku wouldn't be cowed so easily. "The dorms are this way." For all the grief Bakugo gave Izuku, the green haired boy knew what Katsuki needed. At this point, it was privacy.

* * *

Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi sat in the principal's office with Nezu and relayed as much information as he had. "Katsuki had a few half-healed marks on his back, which he said were from training. Teiko told us they trained with limestone so Katsuki could learn how to maneuver well without relying so much on his quirk."

"It's certainly not the most conventional teaching method, but what is when it comes to training heroes?" Nezu took a sip of his tea. "Go on." Aizawa had texted Bakugo's request, and the educator was doing everything in his power to get a thorough background check. Since they couldn't access the Quirk Gym database, they had no clues to her fighting history.

"We really don't have anything else. She was a farmer from out in the country. Apparently she had a letter of recommendation to UA but chose to attend an agricultural school instead. Her teachers all reported that she was a sarcastic, but willing student. There was one incident where she broke a girl's nose, but Teiko apologized and gave the girl a gift." Tsukauchi closed the small folder that had only existed for hours. "If she's working with the League, they're very good at covering their tracks."

Nezu considered the request from every angle. "Thank you for your time, Detective Tsukauchi. Please, let us know if you need our compliance on any cases."

"Actually, we will need to confiscate Shoto Torodoki's phone. The League still has Teiko's phone and Endeavor was last seen alive, so we think they may want to send a message to get Teiko, and maybe Shoto, out of UA."

"I'm sure we can manage that. Ninety percent of my job is convincing teenagers to get off their phones." Nezu joked, which made Tsukauchi grin.

"I'll be around the school checking security for the next couple hours. I'll come back to your office before I leave."

"Understood." Nezu said easily enough. Tsukauchi left. Aizawa and Teiko entered. Nezu opened negotiations. "Hello, Miss Todoroki, I'm Nezu, the principal." Generally there was some surprise at an animal being the head of UA, but Teiko seemed to take it in stride.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She said, offering him her hand as if she wasn't fazed in the least. Nezu didn't have to look hard to see the barely contained turmoil in her eyes. He guessed it didn't stem from him, but at her brother's uncertain fate. His paw clasped hers, shook, and released her in casual succession.

"The pleasure's all mine. Please, take a seat."

Aizawa and Teiko did as instructed. Nezu looked Aizawa over and saw the same turmoil. "The heroes will do everything they can to save Endeavor," he reassured them both. "Our job as faculty is to ensure the safety of our students. Since you've brought young Bakugo home, you've already achieved our greatest calling."

"So the teaching's secondary?" She joked. Nezu recognized the tactic. She was using humor to keep everyone else out.

"For this scenario, yes," Nezu agreed. "I imagine that if young Shoto had been taken instead of Enji, you wouldn't be so willing to sit and talk."

"I probably wouldn't," she agreed.

"So," Nezu said, his words now for Aizawa. "Why'd you suggest Miss Todoroki should be a member of our staff, Aizawa?"

"Bakugo is intelligent, but not nearly smart enough to survive for two weeks with villains and not wind up the star of a snuff film. He's _my_ student and he annoys the crap out of me. If she can convince a kid so prideful we had to chain him at the award ceremony that it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut, she definitely has what it takes to teach at UA."

Nezu was secretly amused that Aizawa, who had come to them at the behest of Midnight, was actually trying to recruit a teacher of his own. "You don't have a teaching or a hero license, but that's a simple enough matter to fix. There are so many young heroes vying for a hero license that we have an entire building dedicated to the test. For adults, it's a simplified mock battle between another few opponents who are already heroes. As for your teaching license, I'd say you've passed the practical assessment and all you need is the written. But first, I'd like to hear more about Dabi. The police department told me you identified him as Toya Todoroki." Nezu would write the board of education to see what they said, but for now he was curious to know the truth.

Teiko knew the conversation would get there. "That's a sore subject," she admitted. "I saw quite a bit of myself in him, back when he was Toya. We were both oldest siblings that felt the need to look after our younger siblings. He seemed to inherit his mother's intolerance for heat with his father's quirk. He and Enji got into an argument about schools and Toya lost his temper. After his flame out, I rushed him to the hospital and admitted him under his nickname, Dabi, which he later took as an alias. In the flame out, he lost any resemblance to the Toya he had once been. He expressed no interest to return to his family. He insisted I even go as far as to tell his family he was dead. I made the choice to listen to his decisions, so I bought him new clothes and intended on helping him find an apartment, but he insisted he'd go his own way.

"I told our family he was gone, not dead. I know it was still dishonest, but it was what he wished.

Nezu took the knowledge into consideration. "We have a zero tolerance for enabling students to fake their deaths." He declared, somewhat confident that the situation would not arise in his school. He judged it to be a personal matter and just barely passable for his standards. "If you can pass the examinations, you can join the UA staff as a professor of psychology and survival." Nezu stood on his chair. "Know there may come a day when the League of Villains comes to attack UA again. Could you fight and detain Toya if you had to?"

Teiko responded seriously. "Toya Todoroki is gone. I could certainly stop Dabi."

Her answer seemed to be the right one. Nezu dismissed Aizawa, under the instructions that he was to find his class and confiscate Shoto's phone, while the principal led Teiko to the faculty dorms. "Here is your room. Midnight lives next door. If you need help getting to sleep tonight, she'll most definitely be able to assist. And across from you is – ah, hello, Thirteen." Though Nezu seemed to trust her, Teiko was sure she was being watched by some hidden camera or another.

"Wow, there really is a strong family resemblance," the heroine declared. "Todoroki…?"

"Teiko," the red-head filled in the blank.

"So you're En…" Thirteen trailed off. She wanted to say 'Endeavor's sister', but she figured it would be best not to mention the man, given the situation.

"Shoto's aunt, yes," she supplied.

Thirteen happily took the out. "He and Katsuki just sparred at the Unforseen Simulation Joint. They went back to their dormitories to meet with Aizawa.

Teiko wasn't too surprised that they'd already fought. "Well, who won?"

"…pardon me?" Thirteen couldn't seem to process Teiko's train of thought.

"You said they fought, right?" Teiko was only beginning to sense that she might be an outcast among the staff with her harsh teaching habits.

"…right," Thirteen agreed. She turned her head at Nezu for a moment, then looked back at Teiko. "Katsuki did, because Shoto hesitated."

Teiko knew Shoto only hesitated when he had too many thoughts. As his aunt, all she wanted to do was speak with him and help to untangle the mess in his head, but she had to accept that there were boundaries at school. While she was his aunt and mentor, she couldn't pick him as a favorite. There wasn't anything she could think to say, so she nodded.

* * *

Aizawa led his class back to their common area and pulled Shoto aside. "The League still has Teiko's phone. We need to take yours in case they try to send you anything else." There was little that was as tedious for a teacher than having to get a kid to part from their devices. Aizawa was surprised when Shoto relinquished his mobile without a word.

Aizawa put his hand on Shoto's shoulder to stop him from going anywhere. "If you want to talk about anything, I'm always available." Shoto's expression darkened. However kind the words, they were poorly received. The teen pulled away and went to his room.

Katsuki shut himself in his shared dorm. Gym equipment had been shoved aside to make room for a second bed. Though his body ached for sleep, he trained. He practiced his kicks and punches with the boxing bag. He imagined Shigaraki's hand covered face and pounded the fabric until his uncovered knuckles bled. _Of course Rock-boy wouldn't have boxing gloves._ He thought bitterly as he pressed on. _What kind of number one pro falls to guys like that?!_ All Might's humble remains filled his head. _If that's what it means to be the best, then I'll be better than them. I won't die like that!_

Out in the hall, Kirishima worried about his friend. He had expected a change, but Katsuki seemed just as rash as ever. The only real change was that he was even more intense, if such a thing was even possible. He walked back to the common area and took a seat by the TV. Momo wielded the remote, which meant there was a documentary on.

"Hey, can you switch to the news?"

Momo glanced at Kirishima. "Which station?"

"Uh, I don't know, any."

"They all have their individual merit, but I find that Domino News seems to be the most—"

"Alright, yeah. Domino," Kirishima agreed, not wanting to get into a debate.

The moment the station burst onto their screen, a fire filled playback was shown. Apparently they had just missed the graphic warning. A large, fiery figure was touched on the arm and "oh shit," Kirishima watched the arm dangle and felt like he was going to lose his lunch. Momo's eyes widened and she quickly shut off the TV.

Kaminari had caught a glimpse. "Hey, what was that? Momo, turn that back on."

"Where's Shoto?" She demanded.

"In his room," Kaminari stated, though he sounded confused.

The answer sufficed, for she instantly turned the television back on. Her goal had been to spare the hero's son from seeing the carnage. By the time the TV showed the clip again, Endeavor had freed the clones of Bakugo and Teiko, who then transformed into Twice and Toga. They watched the hero have the backs of knees decayed and get stabbed with a needle the moment he was down.

What horrified the young heroes the most was the fact that the villains clearly enjoyed themselves. They saw Toga take a step off screen with her cache, then jump back. "That must have been when the heroes arrived," Izuku supplied flatly. Momo turned and saw that nearly the whole class had joined to watch. The scene ended with Kurogiri taking the League through his black voids.

Kirishima was the one that broke the silence. He buried his hands in his face. "Holy shit," he muttered, his eyes teary despite himself. "How do you come back from something like that?" He didn't trust himself to look at anyone or anything. The image seemed burned into his head.

"You don't." Shoto had changed his clothes, but was in the doorway. Sometime between Momo's check and the end of the broadcast, he'd arrived. Momo blushed and had the decency to look ashamed.

Despite the feeling that he'd never look at anyone again, Kirishima's face shot free from his palms. He didn't bother to wipe the tears that slid freely. "Holy crap, man. I'm so sorry. I didn't know—"

"Neither did I," Shoto interjected. Now that he knew who Toya was, he understood the motivation. Even if Endeavor hadn't been the number one hero, he would have been a target. Though he father hadn't laid a hand on him in a decade, the memory of the beatings were his strongest memories of his father. He couldn't help but care, but he didn't know how to process something of this magnitude. Shoto turned and went back into his room. Whatever errand he'd had was gone from his mind.

Hagakure slipped out of her gloves and rushed after Aizawa. She caught their homeroom teacher in the middle of one of the halls. Even though she was invisible, he was well aware of her presence. She panted and made no effort to hide her presence. "Shoto just saw his dad on the news." She huffed between breaths.

"If Todoroki wants to talk, he's welcome to find me. Sometimes people need time to face things on their own. I suggest you all don't hover over him."

"But—"

"Get back to your dorms, Hagakure. Curfew starts in a few minutes."


	12. What To Do

**What To Do**

* * *

 _From now on, just assume my chapters will contain some level of cringe and gore in them. This is the last warning. Take it as a pleasant surprise if they don't._

* * *

In the end, Aizawa needn't have worried. Shoto barred his door shut with a wall of ice and refused to let anyone in. For three days, he remained a recluse. If he drank, washed, or left his room at all, none of the students knew it. Bakugo's rescue was made known and the media began to spout what few details they had, but the teenager refused to do any interviews, so their information wasn't nearly as well received as it could have been. For Katuski to refuse interviews made him not only seem ungrateful, but damaged in some way.

Nezu told Teiko she would spend the rest of the semester shadowing different teachers to see their techniques, that she'd have to pick a code name, and alluded that she was always watched. She defaulted to humor. "Then I'll be sure to wash my hands after I use the bathroom." She ordered new phones for Shoto and herself, but had yet to see him in any of his classes. Though Bakugo attended his lessons, he seemed detached, as if they didn't matter anymore. Izuku noticed and knew there wasn't anything he could do.

 _I need someone who can get through to him. That only leaves Kirishima, but he's not in a much better mental state, or the new teacher._ He had yet to approach her, despite her relation to his classmate. _She seems approachable enough. Or am I just trying to convince myself? Sometimes I feel like she's ready to fight the room, other times she makes a joke and everything seems okay…_ Izuku waited until after his mathematics class ended and most of the students had left before he approached.

"Flint-sensei?" Izuku made a gentle attempt to get her attention. Teiko hadn't changed her ways very much, despite her shift into hero society. Her code name went from kindling in one language to a commonly used rock to start fires. Like Aizawa, she didn't bother to wear a mask.

"Yes, Midoriya?" Nezu had given her a binder on her first day of teacher-shadowing, so she could get to know the students' names, faces, and quirks in preparation for next semester. Her written teaching examination had been remarkably simple. She had to look over laws for the first time in her life to practice for the hero exam.

"Todoroki hasn't left his room in three days." Izuku watched her eyes carefully. Though she hid her emotions well, he could see that she cared. He felt emboldened, so he carried on. "Kacchan isn't doing much better. You've made such an impact on them both. I want to know what you think would help them."

Teiko didn't have to think for very long. "Truthfully, what would help all of us is action. Shoto, Bakugo, me, or anyone personally affected by the League probably wants something done about them. As we are, it's not enough." She lifted her fingers and counted off points. "They have All For One, they have a smattering of approval from dark souled beasts that dare to call themselves human, a human warp gate, but worst of all, they trust one another. As they are now, they work together as a small, elite team that understands their comrades' strengths and weaknesses. To counter that, you need a force equal or greater than them. I'm sure you heard the ranking system is temporarily discontinued as a way to protect heroes?" Midoriya nodded. "This is just my opinion, but it may be the first to a very necessary path that encourages heroes to work together in the same way as the villains.

"If you want to help your friends, don't talk to them. That may make _you_ feel better, but all it does is make them have to put on an act. Tonight just take Shoto some melon flavored candies. He'll have good memories of those. As for Katsuki, leave him be. He knows how to be vocal, but right now he has no idea what to say."

Izuku was glad for the guidance. He began to stand, but felt cowed by her lack of dismissal. "Uh, is there something else?"

"There is," Teiko confirmed. "I can't figure out what would make you happy, aside from making everyone around you content."

Maybe a few months ago, back when All Might lived, his face would have reddened. Now all Izuku could manage was to give an apologetic smile. He looked older than fifteen, and as tired as an insomniac. "I'm afraid that's all there is to it. I'll be happy once I know everyone else is taken care of."

"I don't see how this can end until at least one of three things happens. Someone even stronger than All Might has to show up and chop off the League of Villains head. The villains need a rival sect to oppose them and weaken their forces in a war for power. Or heroes have to learn how to band together. By suspending the ranking system, that makes one step closer to the last direction."

 _Even stronger than All Might…_ The words were a heavy burden on Izuku's shoulders. It wouldn't do to equal the last holder of One For All, but he had to surpass him. "Did you ever see All For One?"

Teiko shook her head. "Thankfully not. Shigaraki was bad enough with his one weak quirk."

Izuku seemed surprised. "Weak? He can decay things."

"Only when he touches five fingers to an object," Teiko pointed out. "So that's right where an opponent should aim. If you can cripple his thumbs, it becomes infinitely more difficult for him to get a hold on anything. With your quirk being your enhanced strength and speed, I'd suggest you dislocate his shoulder."

"What would you do, against a villain like Shigaraki?" Izuku was curious about the strategy involved. It was only too late that he remembered Endeavor and he abandoned eye contact. "S-sorry."

Teiko gave him a half smile. "That's alright, I can answer impartially. If I were to face him and keep a cool head, I'd probably immobilize him. If he somehow got close enough to attempt damage, I'd burn his hands." Though Midoriya was plenty interested in helping others, Teiko didn't think it should be his sole outlet. She seemed to have unexpectedly found the game of strategies much to his liking. Teiko watched the green haired teen cup his chin in his hand and develop a far off look, as if he were in a battlefield of his own making.

"How would you try to defeat Shoto, if the two of you fought again?"

"Now I could dodge out of the way and not have to break my fingers I'd probably jump around him, dodging flames, until I could get in close and take him on in hand to hand combat."

"He feints. Your left foot is burnt."

"Wait, what?" Izuku seemed to jar from his self-made spar.

"How do you proceed?" She encouraged.

"Is it unusable?"

"Your shoe was burnt through and you have rubber now fused into the bottom of your foot." She amended. Izuku looked horrified at the development, but still intrigued. "It really happens," Teiko assured him.

Izuku assumed she heard some of Endeavor's stories over the years. "Uh, I…" he slid back into the role. "I kick my shoe off before it can melt into my foot and sustain minimal damage, but I probably still can't land on it very comfortably. I push through the pain, but move forward and…" They continued for an hour, pitting Izuku through random scenarios and opponents. It was rare that someone tolerated his rambling, but he couldn't ever remember anyone _encouraging_ him to go on a tangent. By the time they finished, he was mentally worn out, but satisfied that he had beaten three of the four imaginary foes. "Thanks, Flint-sensei!"

"You're welcome, Midoriya." For a time, he had allowed her to forget about her festering urge to act.

* * *

Izuku did as she suggested and bought some melon flavored candies from the vending machine. Before he went to his room to study, he stopped by Shoto's door. He didn't knock, but left the offering outside the door and went off to the elevator. Izuku was surprised that when he turned to press the number on the pad, he saw Shoto open his door and look down at the treats. Shoto looked up to Midoriya, who he assumed had delivered them. "Thanks," he said in a voice hoarse from lack of use.

Izuku was tempted to say something, but he nodded and waved his hand in farewell. Teiko had said not to talk, so he wouldn't. He rode down to his floor and went to study.


	13. Unpleasant Revelations

**Unpleasant Revelations**

* * *

The worst part about Enji's death had to be the location. Teiko had to watch her brother be burned to death by her nephew – she'd expected that would be his end since the day they ripped his arms off. She sat in the teacher's lounge in a break between classes and nearly all the faculty was present. Thirteen uselessly put her hand over her mouth, as if she were hiding her shock. Midnight allowed tears to stain her face. Present Mic and Vlad King looked openly shocked. The rest of the staff had grim acceptance as their expressions. Most of them took a moment to glance at Teiko, as if to see how she handled the shocking end.

She felt their eyes become inquiring. They clearly wondered how much of what Dabi said was the truth and as Endeavor's sister, she was bound to know. Just before any of them could find their voice, her phone began to ring. Even as it did, text and email notifications dinged like they would never stop. Teiko slipped her finger over the power button and shut her device off. "Well then," she declared as she stood. "I should probably go to Principal Nezu."

Some of the faculty was in the way, but they shifted to make a path to the door. Teiko managed to walk straight, even though she had the deafening ring that filled her ears and threatened to steal away her balance. It seemed to take more steps than usual, but she managed to find the hall. She imagined Fuyumi or Natsuo could have been some of the people calling her, but she couldn't find any desire to turn her phone back on. Teiko leaned heavily against the wall. Her intention was to stand, but her legs were numb. She slid down until she sat on the ground. Classes were scheduled to start in minutes, but there was a stillness that implied that very few, if any, students would arrive to their daily lessons.

She warred between her impulses. One was violent – to call Dabi and set up a meeting. It was undeniably a trap, but a very well placed one. She felt an undeniable need to reclaim her brother's ashes and set him to rest. But in doing so, what would be the cost? Teiko also considered Shoto. She wanted to be the one to tell him, not the heartless snuff film or his long-gone brother. In the end, Teiko settled for acting as a responsible adult. She stood and moved back to the faculty room. "Where's Aizawa?" The clock said half an hour had passed, but they were all rooted in place.

"Aizawa said he'd get Shoto and meet you in the principal's office." Vlad King answered.

"Thanks." Teiko turned and finally made way to her original destination. She was amazed that her nephew and Aizawa arrived just a bit before her. Shoto looked like fury incarnated. His eyes practically bulged while he glared firmly at the floor. She could practically feel his indecision. He was too stuck on questioning how he was supposed to feel instead of acknowledging his actual emotions. Teiko frowned at him. "It's okay to be a mess, kid."

Nezu welcomed them somberly. "I wish we were meeting on better terms."

"Me too, but you get what you get," Teiko supplied. Though she meant to be sarcastic, she sounded flat and disappointing, event to her own ears. "I'm pretty sure the news stations found my number. Just tell me which one to talk to so the others can leak off that."

"And what are you planning on telling them?" Nezu asked.

"The truth."

Teiko was surprised with Nezu's direction. "Sometimes, the whole truth is more than the public can handle."

Shoto took that point to interject. "You call yourself a hero?" He spat at his principal. "We've been sitting on a horrible family secret for years and we _finally_ have a chance to speak out, but you're implying we shouldn't tell the truth?" His fury had fiercely kindled.

Nezu wasn't fazed. "Well, young Todoroki, what _is_ the whole truth?"

Shoto pointed at his aunt. "It took someone who could overpower my dad to get him to stop him from beating us in the name of training. He never saw any of us as children. My first three siblings were failures, while I was somehow _his_ achievement. He said he created me, as if I were nothing more than a puppet. He stole my mother into loveless marriage because of her quirk, Toya and me, and tried to raise me away from my siblings. He told me that my world was different from theirs and drove my mother and oldest brother insane."

By the time he finished, his clenched fists had gone white. "Is that how you want your father remembered, Todoroki? The countless lives he saved would be lost to the media. All his heroic deeds would be washed from his record and time would probably label him a villain. You'd be seen as a villain's son, and—"

"Why are you defending him?!" Shoto screamed. He felt frustrated enough that ice had begun to form on his right, while fire smoldered on his left arm.

"He's not, Shoto. If you drag Endeavor through a smear campaign after his publically aired murder, you'll be seen as a martyr, a hero with a tragic backstory, or even the son of a villain. These three things could stick with you for not only your career, but your entire life. Everyone will look at you and know that you were a beaten child. Some could draw strength from that knowledge, while others will look down on you. Some people won't even believe you and think this is your way of riding your father's coattails to fame." Teiko's statement did little to appease Shoto. "I'm not trying to dissuade you, but I am letting you know the possible repercussions."

"I already know all of them," Shoto snapped. His patience was gone, and all the teen wanted to do was act, even if it was a rash decision. "I want the whole truth out so people can know that just because someone's a hero doesn't mean they're blameless."

"Shoto. If you confirm this, you'll not only desecrate your father's memory, but you will make people put heroes under microscopes. Any small scandals will be blown completely-" Nezu didn't seem surprise that he was interrupted.

"I don't care!" Shoto shouted with finality. He stormed out to the hall.

Teiko glanced at Nezu and waited for any instructions. "This is a personal matter, so you're both free to say as you wish, so long as you behave honorably to represent UA."

* * *

The following morning, paparazzi and eager citizens alike lined the high school's gates. Students wanted to be out enjoying the good weather, but the swarm of camera crews and jeering from some watchers made them slip inside. In the end, Shoto had decided he was too uncertain to say anything and that he'd like to speak with his mother before making any decisions. A thousand biting remarks filled the red-head's mind, but she knew none were particularly acceptable of a future professor of a prestigious university. Snipe, Aizawa, and Nezu accompanied Teiko to meet with the swarm. Some had posters defending Endeavor, while others had vicious cardboard cutouts that declared his guilt.

 **Todoroki is innocent** was just beside **Wife beater**. There was no rhyme or reason, no clear dividing line between the two opinions. **Dabi for prime minister** was beside **Release Stain**. _That last kid might be at the wrong rally._ The closer she came to them, the more she heard the questions spat at her.

Her hero name became an anxious roar through the bodies. "Flint, Flint, Flint!" They all cried. Once she was close enough to make out their faces, their tone changed. There were more than enough people to make up a threatening mob in any other situation. On UA's campus, with the security between them, there was little to fear. She and the teachers settled on their side of the archway. None of the figures tried to step past the threshold, as they already knew that the gates would shut and they'd lose the interview they all so desperately craved.

"Did you know your brother beat his wife?"

"Why didn't you help Dabi?"

"You're a farmer. You have no place teaching heroes!"

"How did you feel to witness your brother's just dessert?"

"Where's Shoto? How long until he snaps?"

"Do you beat children, too?"

They sought not only to invade her privacy, but delve into her misery, tear it out, and sell her reaction for profit. Teiko suddenly realized why Endeavor was terrible at interviews. It took a certain attitude to take the merciless barrage and not shoot right back at them. It was a demeanor neither sibling seemed to possess. She wore her hero costume; a navy blue shirt that didn't hug her every curve and muscle, but was somewhat form fitting, flexible, and a reasonable cut for a tall and athletic woman in her fifties. Atop it was a dark brown vest lined with pockets of dirt. Her tan cargo pants with even more compartments for various rocks. Each one had a designated pouch and purpose. Against the design team's wishes, she wore her sturdy farming boots, though they were a new, pastel orange pair.

"Is Dabi Toya Todoroki?" A microphone was held closely to the entryway.

The question seemed simple enough, so she answered it. "Physically, they are the same person, but the personality is split. Dabi is a condescending murderer and child abductor. Toya was snarky and sarcastic, like many teenagers, but he still had morals." With her first confirmation, she expected some sort of awed silence, but the paparazzi pressed on.

"You sold your farm ten years ago and lived with Endeavor and his family right after his wife's hospitalization. While you were there, did Endeavor ever hit his children?"

"Never," she answered.

"Then how do you explain Dabi's condition?"

"Dabi dropped out of high school and Endeavor didn't approve. Dabi suffered his snap and created too much heat. His quirk tears his body apart, as he is not impervious to fire. His skin could have been repaired, but he tried to kill his doctors and had to be restrained."

"Do you have anything you want to say to Dabi?"

"No, but I will disclose his weaknesses to whichever hero team that is assigned to him. On behalf of the Todoroki family, we'll thank you for respecting our privacy." She knew even with her license, she was far too involved to be assigned to the case. Teiko turned and went back to the hall. Even as she tried to leave, the vultures squawked behind her.

"Flint! Flint!"

"The public has a right to know!"

"Did he hit them _before_ you arrived?"

"You did well," Snipe offered as they departed.

Teiko gave an exasperated chuckle. "I didn't throw rocks at anyone, so I exceeded my expectations." The last thing she wanted to do was talk. She wanted to go to her room, bar it with earth, and – _Ah fuck, I see where Shoto gets it._ The faculty entered the school and slipped off to their duties.

It was Aizawa who lingered. "What would you do if Dabi were here right now?"

Teiko knew the answer. It was on the tip of her tongue. _I'd rip his arms off and burn him alive._ "The answer's not very heroic."

"If it was, I'd think you were a maniac," he answered. Apparently she'd passed whatever test, because he turned and left her be.

* * *

 _Let me know how I'm doing in a review. I enjoy writing and hope y'all enjoy reading. I'm going to shift focus back to cannon characters and stray from Teiko in the upcoming chapters._


	14. Time for the Real World

**Time for the Real World**

* * *

 _Last name switch. Teiko will be called Flint for the rest of the story as a way to show that she's embraced the hero culture thanks to the changes it will make. She won't be switching again, don't worry! It's what the students know her as, so it's easier to do the full transition. For whatever reason, chapter 6 was a duplicate, even though I had the correct file (same word count and everything) loaded and it registered in the system. So go on back and re-visit chapter 6 for 'new content'. Thanks for pointing it out, Fencer!_

* * *

The nation was given no time to mourn Endeavor. One by one, heroes went missing during missions, only to reappear in horrific films as the unwitting stars to films as disturbing as the first. For every arrest, the jails lost a dozen of prisoners due to frequent jail breaks. Students and their families were held separate, as parents understood that the outside world wasn't safe for young heroes. The League of Villains became a dominant force that encouraged lawbreakers to band together for larger heists. Ships were attacked, trains crashed, computer systems were wiped clean. The instant the government could solve one problem another would arise almost as quickly. The need for heroes became desperate. The only villain Shigaraki seemed content to leave be was Stain, who was locked on Tartarus.

By the time class 1-A faced their last week of their senior year; they all felt varying levels of fear, dread, and anticipation at their chosen careers. They had exercised their strengths and minimized their weaknesses to the best of their abilities. Every student received multiple requests for heroes wanting sidekicks, as they were the class that had faced off first against the renewed League of Villains.

Rumor had it that though the Quirk Gyms couldn't be shut down, heroes went in disguise to infiltrate the ranks and find hideouts for the explosive villain population. In the two and a half years since All Might's death, Izuku nearly killed himself with overtraining at least once a semester. _Only seventy percent_ , he said to himself, the words like a curse. _I'm so close. I keep feeling like I'm going to have a breakthrough, but there's some kind of block in the way._ Gran Torino assured Izuku it was a matter of experience; that his abilities would become even greater when he entered real combat.

Lemillion had only just finished his time as a sidekick and was out on his own as a pro hero. Though he'd only barely begun his solo venture, Deku knew he wanted to study beneath the pure hearted blond. Sir Nighteye had been All Might's student, which made him feel some sort of connection to his fallen mentor.

"Quit standing in the way, Deku!" Katsuki shouted into Midoriya's ear.

Once Izuku may have jumped or startled. Now he took an automatic step to the side to let his peer pass. "Go ahead, Kacchan." In their two and a half years, Izuku could see some changes in Katsuki and not all of them were for the best. He kept his loud and bossy demeanor and wielded it like a weapon. His marks remained within the top five in every subject, though nobody ever caught him studying.

As for Izuku, he was fond of his classes, but felt he learned a surprising amount of real world application not only from the veteran pro-heroes, but from the farmer as well. Flint's classes consisted of fine tuning strategies and understanding someone else's drives. While other teachers helped the students develop their quirks and academic abilities, Flint taught them how to consider points of views. All of her examinations were debates. She had students draw at random to determine and talk through hypothetical situations. The funniest day was when manly Kirishima was told he was a seven year old girl who learned her quirk was to make herself fatter. Everyone had laughed at what sounded like a silly quirk, but Flint had them travel down two different avenues. One was where she was bullied, and the other told how she was lifted up by her friends and received kind words by people she respected. By the end of the first scenario, she became a jewel thief. At the other, she was a hero who specialized in aiding in evacuations and saved hundreds of lives.

Izuku had Gran Torino's help every step of the way. Though the teachers all supported their students, some were better at it than others. Some of Izuku's peers were intimidated by Flint and chose to ally themselves with less intense teachers. Those students who listened to her were generally the ones with the best marks. Momo Yaoyorozu even managed to talk Flint into spending more time out of the classroom and out into the field. With their minds for strategy, the two got along well and managed to trap a modest amount of villains even before Flint finally caved and invited Momo to become her sidekick.

Katsuki snorted and walked past as if it were his right. He scooped out his portions and nearly shoved into Shoto on his way out of line. "What's his deal this time?" Shoto asked Izuku as an unpleasantly snide Katsuki stomped over to a table.

"Kacchan got an offer from Hawks, who would probably be the number one hero, if we still had a ranked system." Izuku explained as he dished his meal out. "Whose sidekick will you be?"

"I'm going to study under Kamui Woods." He didn't sound honored or surprised, merely accepting of the wood hero's acknowledgement. Izuku and Shoto moved to sit beside Katsuki, who had a grin on his face.

"Well, well, isn't this symbolic? I'm the first, and you two ate my dust." He declared snobbishly. Izuku grinned and ate without a word. "Eh? You looking down on me, Deku?" Katsuki spat, his eyes widened with a challenge. "Bring it on, I can take you!" His words were the same as ever, but said with far more arrogance and confidence than their first year.

It was Shoto who countered next. "You couldn't take him on yesterday. What makes today so different?"

Katsuki reddened as he remembered his loss. "That was a race," he said defensively. "When it comes to combat I can take anyone on!"

"Only if you can catch them." Shoto said with finality. Izuku found he never tired not only of his friendship with Icy Hot, but the teen's unexpected wit. After his father's cruel demise, Shoto had mourned and sulked, but seemed to act as if he had a weight lifted off his shoulders. As expected, Toya had been written out of the will. Flint sold the estate and split the money between the three children. Natsuo finished his education and used the rest of his money to help provide funding to many hospitals in dire need of an upgrade. As for Fuyumi, she dedicated the money to funding schools and updating their security systems. As the eternal daddy's little girl, she had taken the loss the hardest. She'd been the only one to visit the house and collect any memorabilia of their father. Flint and Shoto couldn't bring herself to step foot in the elaborate manor, as if to do so would make his death more final, somehow. Natsuo pretended not to be affected, but he tended to call and talk to his family far more often.

Shoto used his money to rescue his mother from the hospital and put her in nice apartments far enough out of town to avoid being targeted, and with an impressive security system. Even after fully furnishing the place to her desires, she and Shoto still had more than enough yen left over for her to live lavishly for the rest of her days. When Shoto had told Rei of her husband's untimely death, he had kept the details to a minimum. Even so, his sweet mother had still cried and made sure to bring all of Endeavor's presents with her. Shoto was surprised to see dozens of small things over the years, ranging from bears that looked as if they were won at carnivals to beautiful orchids and mosaic pots.

"You're just jealous because Hawks decided to take me on." While all of his Sports Festival showings had been impressive, Shoto won in their second year and Izuku stole the victory, at long last, in their third and final showing.

Izuku chuckled and ate, comfortable with his own silence. He felt gratitude for the shelter UA had provided not only him, but every student in the past years of disaster. Not only had they grown and learned how to build teamwork skills, but the school kept them safe. Other hero schools had been targeted and had raids. Children were stolen to be sold, converted to the villain's cause, or star in videos that the media stopped showing, as to not demoralize the public.

* * *

So the League of Villains hired a tech guru and avoided any censoring. La Brava, their computer mastermind, made sites not only on the World Wide Web, but also on the dark and deep webs. She gave the League of Villains a social media presence and was able to not only find recruits, but manage to weed out false profiles from true villains.

Shigaraki was quite pleased with his league. It had blossomed from their humble origins, mostly thanks to Stain's outrageous ideals. First they rescued Mustard, who was only at a local penitentiary. For each recon mission for one man, they were able to convince a dozen more criminals to leave their cells and join them. By the time they went to rescue Muscular, the League had tripled in size and only Stain remained beyond their reach. As far as the League cared, Shigaraki would rescue the prattling, idealistic man who got the ball rolling, _eventually_. Though Shigaraki knew that they gained the main strain of devout members from Stain's teachings, he knew that Stain wouldn't be a loyal follower. To release Stain would be the death of the League in a civil war with no boundaries. Not only would they destroy themselves, but they could take down hundreds of thousands of citizens in the crossfire. Whenever the subject was brought up, the League decided that Tartarus simply could not yet be breeched.

Finally, they were going to rescue Muscular. Magne used his quirk to repel the wholly-male prisoners away from each other to keep from fights breaking out. Shigaraki strolled easily forward to deliver his recruitment speech. Little by little, All For One gave Shigaraki new abilities. First he had been given a small slice of the man's skin to eat, so that he would become the true successor to All For One. With it, he could wield quirks given to him from his master, but had yet to develop enough to truly use each quirk in earnest. He used a light touch of some forgotten woman's convincing quirk as he spoke. "Gentleman," Shigaraki began, his face visible today, as he'd left his mummified hand at home. He had begun training in earnest so his body could accept All For One and was a much more impressive, muscular figure than the beanpole he'd once been. "You've lived in a society that told you that you must have a license to do good, that if you don't, _you're bad_. I _like_ bad guys." He reached his hand out and turned his red eyes over the crowd. Most grinned and looked as if their decision was already made, but there were a few who hesitated. "If you join us, you'll become a crucial member to restoring _true_ justice in our corrupt society."

Right on cue, Kurogiri created a void. "If anyone would like to join us, then this is your stop." As expected, Muscular stomped right through.

"Bring on the murder!" He declared as he stomped to his freedom.

The heroes that guarded the facilities were out for the count and had been piled in a different room. Shinso awakened in the dark, guarded place, with a mild sense of dread. Up until now, his quirk had kept everyone in check. Shinso groaned and lifted his head to assess the situation. Dabi stood watch while Toga went about collecting blood. "What are you doing?" Shinso asked, his tone demanding in hopes of winning a response.

Dabi watched with an eternal smirk on his face, but didn't say a word. Toga opened her mouth to answer, only to snap it shut. Shinso shifted to his hands and knees, then to his feet. Dabi crouched into a defensive position and Toga continued to meander through the unconscious bodies, seemingly untroubled by the conscious intern. A new figure strolled through the splintered doorway and studied the dropped heroes.

"What a surprise. If it isn't the brainwasher," Shigaraki said as he walked through the door. "Have you ever felt like starting a career in film? You have just the face that asks to be punched and peeled off."

"Finally." Shinso kept his face neutral as he continued. "I've been waiting for you guys to come and get your lackey. I want to join up with the League of Villains."

Shigaraki was torn. For a moment, he wanted to think the unthinkable. That they had won over a UA student. "Do you, really? Only heroes call it _the League of Villains_ to a true villain, it's simply the League."

He knew they wouldn't trust him. Then again, nobody ever did. "You obviously know my quirk. I think you could think of a few uses for something like that."

"Yeah, maybe we could," Shigaraki declared. Shinso didn't like the malicious gleam in the man's eyes.


	15. King's Penitentiary

**King's Penitentiary**

* * *

"So how was being Miss Midnight's neighbor?" Momo asked Flint as she drove to their mission's start point. Tonight they were assigned protect a group of first year hero students at a new school's cultural festival.

Flint released a startled laugh. "That's an odd way to hype up for a battle."

"No, seriously." Momo pressed, amused at the seemingly unshakable woman's reaction. They had been able to talk about anything openly.

"That's my answer," Flint answered with a chuckle. Momo blushed as she captured the meaning. On the radio they heard the Public Servant's Channel relay information. A sharp ding echoed through the car, alerting the passengers that the news they were about to receive was of the League of Villains. Momo was driving, so Flint reached forward and turned the volume up.

" **King's Penitentiary has been attacked. Any local units are to abandon their mission and answer at once**."

As luck would have it, Momo and Flint were the two heroes in the area. Flint lifted their radio and reported.

"Creati and Flint detouring from Mighty Hero High to respond. Over." It was one of many memorial schools and hospitals to sprout up in recent years. Momo wouldn't be Flint's official sidekick until after graduation, but it had been made illegal to ignore a distress signal. Heroes all had trackers put in their work vehicles and their costumes. In a way, it was for their safety, but it was also to enable the government to keep a closer eye on them. If anyone was found in a questionable place, they were expected to explain themselves.

Momo turned the wheel and diverted their course. "I'll probably need a tranquilizer gun and some darts," she checked her plan with Flint before creating anything.

"That's good for individuals, but what if you see people grouped together?"

"An electric net would work best."

Flint nodded. "Very good, but if we see anyone grouped, I can corral them if you don't have enough time to make the tranq and net."

Momo flipped a switch and hidden sirens shifted upwards onto the roof of her car. The two of them zoomed through traffic to their destination. Even as she drove, Momo managed to keep enough concentration to create a large tranquilizer gun and sixteen darts with it. As expected, she couldn't make the far more complex net.

By the time they arrived, a sense of foreboding had settled on the two women. The prison's gates were shut tight, so they had to abandon their car. Flint and Momo stepped out and the older woman used her terrakinesis to dig them a tunnel under the gate. She filled in soil as they went, keeping them in a barely lit state with a candle sized flame cupped in her left hand. Flint was careful to keep close to the surface and check for the sun from time to time, so they didn't burrow too far. Finally, they reached the spot where their track had to end. "Concrete. Alright, Momo, what's next?"

The teen's confidence was stronger than it had ever been. "Lift us slowly on a platform while keeping a rock above us for cover. If we need to, then we can retreat at once. If we go straight up, we should be level with the building and be able to access a window."

Flint quenched her fire and did exactly as asked. The red-head's earth slid neatly beneath their feet and pulled them up. Nobody seemed to watch the outside of the building. Inside, however, was a nightmare. They saw into the office, where all heroes, officers, and guards were down. Flint witnessed a familiar blonde jabbing her needle into the unconscious bodies. A familiar figure with black hair stood guard. _Dabi_.

* * *

Shinso wasn't surprised when Shigaraki asked him to perform the initiation. "If you want to come back with us, then kill three people." He continued to have a maddened, malicious look in his crimson eyes. Shinso was a hero who didn't oppose wearing a gun. _I'm not a villain_ , he told himself as he drew the 9mm Glock from its holster at the small of his back. Not only Aizawa, but dozens of heroes had taken the time to properly train him to be an instrument for justice.

He shot one of the figures on the ground. He knew the man to be quirkless and without a family. Blood spattered over Dabi's cheek. Shinso's next targets had similar backstories, though with weaker quirks that were uncultivated. He slid his gun back into place as nonchalantly as he could. Shinso used force of will not to shake or delve too deeply on the fact that he'd murdered his comrades.

He'd been told his face didn't hold expressions well. _"Resting bitch face"_ Flint had called it. _"You just don't look very approachable."_ She, too, had been one of the many government approved mentors to lead him down the darkest path a hero could take.

"Well, Brainteaser," Shigaraki surprised Shinso by calling him by his codename. "We'd hoped you'd join up." Dabi set his hand to the wall and engulfed the building in blue fire. Even though Shinso stood in the center of the room, a fair distance from the flames, he felt the suffocating heat almost instantly. A void of darkness became a small beacon of hope. Shinso stepped in, knowing full well that he would never become the hero he'd once envisioned.

* * *

"I have a clear shot." Momo said in a wavering tone. There had been true horror in her eyes as she'd witnessed three instant and merciless deaths. "Take out the window, we can get him," she whispered. Flint lifted her hand to the barred window and worked first on the thick metal slats.

"Hurry, Flint. We can still get them." For several more seconds Flint made a valliant attempt to break through the window. Blue flames stole her attention. Flint dropped them back down into the ground at the nick of time. There, she and Momo sat like two groundhogs waiting for spring.

The superheated air exploded even as the walls crumbled away. Momo forced herself to keep thinking clearly, even as destruction reigned above them. "Okay… we just need to stay here until the fire's out. Once it is, we can go back up." She thought of the bodies and shuddered. "It should be safe now. Lift the lid just a touch." Flint did. They were buffeted with a lukewarm gust of air. "That should be okay. Be ready to make a quick escape. This could still be a trap." And of course, Flint obeyed.

Dabi must have lingered minutes more, for there little left of the building. Ash danced in a lazy breeze over the virtually untouched foundation. The fire had risen to engulf walls, rooves, and even all the prison's carefully coded security system. Even as Momo and Flint hovered over the wreckage, two more teams of heroes arrived. Flint and Momo descended to speak with the heroes.

"There were fifty prisoners here." One of them said, clearly disturbed by the easiness of the break in. The yard had once been covered by fully electrified cables and surrounded by fences. Above-ground, it was nearly inescapable. In the short-circuiting of the system, the gates had opened and nobody else had to break in.

Another hero stared at the desolate land. "And twenty people assigned to guard," she added. "Were you able to get any of them out?" The hero already knew, but wanted confirmation.

Flint allowed Momo to be the bearer of bad news. Though her posture was strong and jaw set, there was great disappointment in her eyes. "We arrived too late to rescue anybody." The statement was one that had become common in the hero world. Every time it was said, their hearts died just a bit more. Flint, on the other hand, was aware of the victory within their defeat. It had taken years of training and careful preparation, but they'd finally played their trump card.


	16. In the Hornet's Nest

**In the Hornet's Nest**

* * *

 _Sorry, readers. Chapters are going to be fewer and farther between from here on out, as I'm now working part time and we got a new pup. Expect_ _ **roughly**_ _one chapter per week. It could be more, it could be less. I'm tentatively declaring this story about 60% complete._

* * *

The government had gotten desperate for a solution. They guarded Tartarus even more fiercely, certain that one day the League of Villains would try to rescue Stain from the island's fortress. In the past, they had asked heroes to infiltrate the League of Villains so long as they could maintain the law. Shigaraki had rooted out those early attempts with ease, by asking them to kill. From the corners of legality came the agents. Almost immediately after Shinso's debut in the Sports Festival, he had been approached by a government agent and told he would have the opportunity to become a great hero. His name may never make it to websites, but he would be one of the most well paid employees and given every opportunity to learn and grow. " _Not only will we get you into the hero course, but we'll provide for you in whatever way you need._ " They had started out so vague. As time progressed, they became crystal clear on what they truly wanted from him.

" _Do as you must, Shinso. Although heroes aren't supposed to kill, the deaths of a few hardly compare to ending the state of things. Try not to be seen, but know that you have full immunity. Should your crimes be captured on film, then we have to appear to punish you_." They had been the ones to have him fill Bakugo's slot. They had told Nezu that he would permit Aizawa to have twenty one students. Though most teachers knew about the agents in their ranks, only a few were actual agents themselves. At the time, Shinso had been grateful for the support to finally help him achieve his dreams.

Now, he knew he would do as the villains decreed until the time was right. If they told him to kill, to rob, or do anything save try to overthrow the government itself, he had clearance to do so. As the void slid from around him, Shinso couldn't help but feel a muted terror and thrill of excitement war for dominance inside him. All his life he'd wanted to be a hero. He'd been offered the opportunity and took it. At last, he'd make his training worthwhile.

* * *

Katsuki hated that the villains had him pegged. In the end, he kept Overkill as his code name, since King and Lord Explosion Murder were repeatedly vetoed. He felt as if he'd been vindicated to have Hawks want to take him on. After graduation, he went right to the hero's agency, ignorant of the conversation inside.

"Tell me one last time why I don't get Tokoyami? He's an agent, he's a bird type like me, and he was a damn good intern." As always, Hawks had not been able to do what he wished. As a government's top tier employee and pro hero, they owned him. He'd been scouted as a kid to become an agent, same as nearly everyone else. Tokoyami's fearful parents had sought government assistance when they found their child's soul bound to a shadow.

One of the government's men, a plain fellow in a suit, explained for the last time. "Your job is to convince Katsuki Bakugo to become an agent. You have worked with Tokoyami and will continue to take a part in missions with him, but there is no merit in him becoming your sidekick."

Hawks rarely seethed, but he felt some frustration at losing his promising young protégé to someone other hero. Then again, Katsuki certainly wasn't an entirely unpleasant choice. He'd graduated as third in his class. "Sure, he's got drive, but why not someone more complacent like Endeavor's son?" He suggested, feeling as if he'd be able to more happily spend the day with someone who wouldn't always pick a fight. Up until the sickening revelation that he beat his wife and children, Hawks had admired Endeavor's attempt to best All Might, despite its obvious futility.

"Kamui Woods is an expert at working with other pros. It's most important that young Todoroki—"

Hawks cut his superior off with a flippant wave of his hand. "Yeah, yeah," he sighed with a roll of his goggle clad eyes.

"The League has expressed interest in Katsuki's abilities before. If you can show them that you've won him over-"

Again, Hawks wouldn't let the salaryman finish a sentence. "Then my relationship with them will flourish. Sheesh. This is _my_ agency. I should be able to do what I want." Instead, he'd spent the past two years as the top spy into the League of Villains. They thought he was theirs, but he knew his allegiance was for peace, which is what the government claimed to stand for.

The nameless man stood and scooted in his chair. "You only have an agency because it's essential that you appear to be a hero. Your country thanks you for your continued loyalty, Hawks." The fellow snapped his briefcase shut and saw himself from the room.

Only minutes after the nameless paper pusher departed, Katsuki Bakugo strode into the room. He looked over Hawks, a man with windswept, sandy colored hair, brown eyes, an unimpressive goatee, headphones, goggles, and most importantly of all, a pair of large, crimson wings. "Heya, Overkill," Hawks greeted with a lazy wave. "I'm not one to just sit around, so let's go do stuff."

 _"_ Sweet." The teen responded at once. _This is already going better than that sham of an intern week with Best Jeanist._ Bakugo didn't feel any resentment that he was to instantly turn and step back into the elevator. He even did so with a grin on his face.

"Someone's rearing to go," Hawks noted, a tinge of guilt creeping into his conscience. How was he supposed to convince this kid to sell his soul to the government? Any help they offered seemed great at first, but always came with a later price, as they selected and prepared young heroes to practically become villains themselves. "I hope you're fast, kid. I don't slow down for anyone."

Bakugo recalled the narrow margin where he lost to Deku last week. "Yeah, I can keep up," he boldly declared, taking the words as a challenge. He was confident enough in his abilities to rarely become defensive anymore.

"You'd better, because today we're going Nomu hunting. Our mission is to see if we can reason with a more sentient batch reportedly said to be just downtown." The Nomu's quality seemed to have plateaued, increasing dramatically after All Might's death, only to flat line in quality, though increase in quality. Some had even developed the ability to reject commands. The League simply cast them out and allowed the Nomu to wander the streets and cause aimless destruction. The elevator dinged, and they were all the way to the top of the agency. Hawks didn't hesitate when he leaped off the building and took off to the west.

Bakugo aimed for a nearby building and used his explosion quirk to control his descent. He leaped from structure to structure, careful to use just as much of his physical body as he did his quirk. Hawks kept ahead, but not by nearly as much as he'd expected. Their commute was a pleasant one, as it was the middle of March and the day was reasonably warm and dry. Once they landed, Hawks immediately kept charge. He'd expected far more resistance from his newest sidekick and didn't want to give Bakugo the chance to get mouthy. "Let's stick together. Sometimes there are weak Nomu with two quirks, and other times you find a crazy monster that can sneeze flesh-eating hairballs."

"Eh? Really?" Bakugo sought to confirm. "What a dumb quirk."

Hawks couldn't help but smirk. "Not yet, but who knows? Today could be our lucky day. Don't forget to go for the head." Hawks tapped his skull. By now, their weak spot was common knowledge to every hero.

The hero's wings split apart, and dozens of feathers scouted their location. Each vibration through the air went from his feather to his brain, like he was a queen bee and the feathers his workers. Bakugo stopped occasionally to check where he felt Hawks had missed. Bakugo lifted the lid of a dumpster, expecting nothing. A black limb shot out and grabbed tightly to his forearm. "Shit!" Bakugo shouted, his hand rose to shoot off an immediate blast. Not only was the Nomu in the metal container, but a slew of highly combustible trash. The grasp released and an unearthly scream raked through the air. Hawks grabbed his two sword feathers and readied himself for a fight. Before the pro could even get close, Bakugo shot off two more explosive punches to incinerate the Nomu. The dumpster's hefty plastic lids blew off and the creature simmered in silence.

"Piece of cake," Bakugo declared as he watched the impassive Nomu's body fail in the shallow, topless pit. The flesh bubbled, but didn't seem to do anything else. Hawks peered for only a moment before he took off away.

"Back up!" The man shouted. Bakugo did as ordered, using his blasts to propel him backwards. He narrowly escaped the Nomu's answering explosion. Bricks from the nearby buildings crumbled, but managed to keep the buildings intact. The smell not of burning flesh, but rotten eggs permeated the air. Bakugo lifted his arm to cover his nose. _Nasty_.

Nomu dashed quickly from its half blasted shelter into the alley. It was one of the smaller Nomu Hawks had seen, only five feet tall, and with its flesh sagging unlike any that had ever been described. Hawks darted in close and held his sword over the Nomu's throat, mostly to check if it had any sense of self preservation. As luck would have it, the Nomu stood still. "What…you…want?" Each word was labored and dull.

Hawks took charge before Bakugo could even try. "Who created you? Why are you weaker than the other Nomu?" Of course, he already knew the answers.

The Nomu's eyes remained impassive on either side of its exposed brain and its voice remained equally expressionless. "I…made…by…Master," it said simply, as if they expected it to know who 'master' may be. Hawks knew they'd get nothing more from the monster, so they turned him over to the officers. He and Bakugo found three more of the shy type Nomu, all of them drawn to dumpsters as a sort of den. All were taken into custody - exactly as Shigaraki had ordered Hawks to do. Of course, it was done with government approval.


	17. Echoes of an Overlord

**Echoes of an Overlord**

* * *

 _Super late and probably a needless warning by now, but manga spoilers! I'm operating on guesses from up until chapter 213. I'm sure most of my theories and the theories of dedicated Youtubers and Redditors could be wrong, but I've picked several and based my story around them. I've spent the past week mapping out my chapters and reaching a nice end to the story. The bad news is we're only about half way through, not the 60% I promised before. Sorry, y'all._

* * *

Izuku knew he was dreaming, because he couldn't remember how he came face to face with All For One. The nearly faceless man lay with machines and tubes sprouting out from him in an intricate web to prolong his life. He lifted his right hand and pulled the oxygen mask from his face. He knew his time was nearly at an end. "That power's grown remarkably," he noted to the confused, green haired young man. Izuku didn't trust himself to speak, so he remained silent. Though there was ten feet of space between them, All For One's voice carried easily. "I passed my own abilities to young Shigaraki for a reason. Have you guessed it yet?"

Again, Izuku had nothing to offer but silence. Would the answer truly be so simple? Perhaps after his millions of misdeeds, All For One wanted to achieve some form of repentance. Izuku felt it was far more likely that the man wanted to boast. "Tomura's father was a bit of a troublemaker. He bounced around from home to home. By the time he had his son, he had become a cruel alcoholic. He couldn't comprehend why his mother abandoned him." Izuku cringed as the man sneered. "I knew that All Might was weak when it came to his mentor and I had to be sure that he would leave my pupil alive." He took a few moments catch his breath. In the resounding silence, Izuku could feel his heart race. Like his other meetings with One For All's holders, he found he was unable to speak even if he wanted to.

"Our quirks are dependent upon one another. Just as One For All has grown in strength, so have I. Once you reach your full potential, our fight will be enough to level quite the field." This time, he stared at Izuku with such intensity it was almost as if he could see him, despite his lack of eyes or even sockets. "I'm awake now. It's time for Tomura Shigaraki to evolve."

"Brainteaser is being watched by Mister Compress and Dabi." Kurogiri reported as they settled into their evening at the otherise vacant bar. It had been a week since their newest recruit had joined up and he'd proved obedient enough to send on a mission, though under close supervision.

Shigaraki released an angry groan as he scrolled through camera feeds. His hand scratched at his neck, only showing the amount of his irritation. At the moment, he couldn't care less about Shinso. "Why is that twerp following Hawks around? We told him to get Todoroki or Midoriya. Why did he have to get someone so _unlikeable_?" In the League, Shigaraki had established a trust with his original members, who went about sewing terror of their choice and worked with teammates of their choosing, so long as they stuck to the proper locations. "Nobody will care if we kill Bakugo anymore. He's just another UA student with his head up his ass. He didn't even win his third year tournament."

Kurogiri poured Shigaraki a drink. "If he doesn't have merit as a victim, then why don't we let Hawks try to make him an ally? If our newest recruit is sincere, it could be that UA's curriculum is slipping."

"That's true. We had our rat there for years and nobody ever noticed, so maybe you're right and he can be changed. Heroes just aren't what they used to be." Shigaraki paused to drop his hand from his throat. "Fine, he gets one last try. If nothing else, I can take Bakugo's quirk and use him for the base of a new Nomu."

"How many quirks are you holding now, my lord?" Kurogiri asked, well aware of Shigaraki's limits. All For One had not managed to pass on all of his quirks. He claimed that Shigaraki would need to take time for his body to adjust to the different abilities.

"Mind your own damn business," the man answered with a scowl. As far as he was aware, his master could wield unlimited abilities and mix them with ease. By comparison, Shigaraki had been severely limited in his attempts. The Nomu he created were efficient, but lacked in quality.

"You've only had the ability a short time. You'll have many, many more years to hone your abilities." Kurogiri assured his young master.

* * *

The League enjoyed the creative freedom that came with their assignments. Muscular, Mister Compress, Dabi, Shinso, and a half a dozen other goons were assigned to a highly populated district in Tokyo that catered to the wealthy. Generally, the high patrol of heroes was enough to keep the villains away, but tonight they had Muscular. Before anyone headed out, there seemed to be something like a meet and greet where the villains chatted amongst each other.

Young children milled about the room. Some looked well fed and happy, which Shinso assumed meant they had potential; others were malnourished and looked like skeletons beneath a mess of rags. A handful carried trays with small cups. While the children filed through the ranks with their drinks, Shinso did a quick head count. _Thirty-six_. He didn't think the number too remarkable. Three twelve man teams. When at last a young boy lifted his tray to Shinso, he automatically looked before reaching.

"What the fuck is this sludge?" Muscular growled not five feet away. "You're insane if you think I'm drinking that. And what the hell are these runts doing here? Why don't we steal some girls?"

Shinso was glad he'd been teamed with the loudmouth, as he doubted his teammates would be too thrilled to answer any of his questions.

"You've been away from us for quite some time, Muscular. We have a new warp named Ujiko. If you swallow a bit of them they can be aware of your pulse and transport you back to their body if you're in mortal peril, or if you ask for help." Mister Compress explained casually. As he did, he slid his mask aside and swallowed the shot-glass worth of sludge. Likewise, Dabi and the others mimicked what seemed to be a casual routine.

 _It's no wonder we can't catch them_ , Shinso thought as he tipped his cup back and drank. The taste was thick, entirely unpleasant, and akin to rancid meat that had festered in the sun for a week before someone threw it in the blender. Shinso couldn't help but grimace, which earned a chuckle from the villainous veterans.

"We employ children who have nowhere else to go. Whether or not they earn their meals is entirely up to them," Dabi said with a cool indifference. "Shigaraki has a thing for orphans."

 _They don't have anywhere to go because you murdered their parents._ Shinso thought darkly.

Compress slipped his mask back into place just as three portals blossomed into existence. Each of the groups moved to the voids closest to them and to their tasks.

* * *

The Nomu were settled into a lab with security according to the abilities the Nomu had displayed. From the outside, Odyssey Labs was incredibly difficult to penetrate. In appearances, they appeared just as efficient on the inside. Only the board of directors knew that half of their cameras had recently acted up. Only the one member on the board, a man who'd allied himself to the League of Villains for a substantial sum of cash, knew that he had been the one to ruin the feeds.

When dusk settled over the facilities, all of the staff was surprised to hear the soft singing of a magpie accompanied by the overwhelming stench of rotten eggs. They approached the Nomu four adjacent Nomu enclosures to stare at their newest subjects. Unseen, the bought-out corporate man adjusted the feed so the Nomu would appear to be complacent and quiet in their pens. If the officers didn't see anything, there'd be no need for them to call heroes.

Once nearly all of the workers had clustered together to hear the soft song, another Nomu emitted a loud, debilitating screech that sent the scientists to their knees. Several clutched at their ears and others outright fainted. The third Nomu exploded with such force that it rendered everyone and everything to a heap rubble, splattered blood, and what appeared to be hundreds of pounds of charred flesh. The first Nomu bubbled as it had back in the dumpster when Katsuki Bakugo had tried to explode it. It oozed and flesh moved in a continual boil for nearly ten minutes before it solidified once more.

When, at last, the Nomu settled, it went to each of its peers and used its time turning quirk to revive them. They bundled back into their previously severed and destroyed bodies as if they'd never sustained damage in the first place. Once its team was assembled, the fourth Nomu, who had been useless up until this point, developed sledgehammer arms.

Once they were together, they remembered their purpose.

"Raid."

"Loot."

"Steal."

"Kill."

When it came time for the security guards to change, they couldn't find their replacements. They could tell at once they were robbed, and that the thieves hadn't tried to cover their tracks. Electronic dispensers had been smashed in, trampled, or even scorched and their contents fully gutted.

Back at the base of the League of Villains, Shigaraki grinned broadly as he looked over the loot. Though his weaker creations may lack strength, they most certainly got the job done.


	18. A Night to Shop

**A Night to Shop**

* * *

On the same night of the Nomu's plunder, the teams struck in a sixty kilometer area of Odyssey Labs. Dabi led team Alpha, Spinner had team Beta, and Twice commanded Theta. They communicated with simple earpieces, given to each of the leaders. Shinso noted their apparent lack of telepaths. _Kaminari could short-circuit them and disable their communications. Ujiko can survive stomach acid, but can it withstand electricity?_

Team Theta were to commit any crimes on the streets, with Twice replicating each of their members. Already, they began to mug civilians in alleyways, while team Beta plugged sewers. Team Alpha was to rid the wealthy district of their electricity. Their first plan had been to destroy the power plant, but with the addition of Shinso, their plan had shifted to a show of power to the wealthy.

As luck would have it, Momo was out shopping with her mother when the first hard of villains arrived. "Get down," Momo warned the elder Yaoyorozu in a quick hiss. As dressed as she was, Creati would have to shed a few layers to do much of anything. Her mother was a delightfully sweet, yet perfectly ignorant woman several years junior to her husband. At the first sign of danger, her face reddened and she ducked behind one of the many racks of clothes.

"Momo, what do we do?" The elder Yaoyorozu asked in dismay, acting far more like a child than a parent. Even as she was asked, Momo sent a text, made a call, but hung before anyone could answer. She and Flint had agreed upon the method in case of an emergency and one of them didn't have their suits on hand.

 **Under attack. Urban Shiek.**

As soon as she was done, Momo began to build a bulletproof vest for her parent. She shifted carefully and began to pull her sleeves off. Her plan was to expose her back, but the tactic failed at once. In her haste, she had bumped a rail and given away their position.

"You'd be prettier if you bled more," Toga tossed a knife at Momo's exposed shoulder. Mother Yaoyorozu screamed at the top of her lungs and frantically ducked further into their shelter of expensive garments. On some level, Momo was annoyed, but she understood the logic. Momo had been trained as a hero and was supposed to know her way out of such predicaments. The vest sprang just in time and blocked the attack. The moment the first item was created, she tossed it to her mother and created a metal javelin for herself. Momo held her weapon towards blonde, who was far too close for comfort.

Toga giggled as she jumped backwards. "You're _feisty_ ," she cooed through her mask. Her needle gun was at the ready and pointed squarely at her target. Momo used her crouched position to her advantage and dodged left just in the nick of time. "Oh come on, stay still. It won't hurt." Toga took a moment to sneer. Even with her face mostly covered, her cheeks elevated and eyes scrunched. "Much."

Momo straightened and Toga fired once more. Momo swung her javelin like a bat and the needle ricocheted to the side. Toga tensed in preparation to run, but a sudden chill swept over her feet. She looked down, brows raised, to see her boots covered with ice.

"We're saved!" Mama Yaoyorozu cried even as the ice spread to cover Toga from neck to toe.

"Kamui's out there capturing more," Shoto informed Momo. "Flint's on her way." Before he had even settled, he was back out the door to help with the increasingly dire situation outside. When Momo looked out the shop's glass windows, she saw fires raging, heard what seemed to be infinite cries of terror, and could practically taste the fear in the air. Up until today, this district had been among the few places that was supposed to be safe.

Momo formed and changed into her suit, perfectly shameless towards her mother and Toga's watching eyes. The instant she was dressed, Flint arrived on a large floating rock. She stepped in through the open door, looking exasperated and amused at once. "Oh come on, you needed a man to save you?" Flint teased, gesturing to Shoto's ice. "I knocked out a few more on my way here. This place is _swarming_ with…" Flint trailed off when she saw just who had been captured.

"Hey, Maki! Long time no-" Toga began to purr, apparently not quite comprehending her situation.

It was rare that Momo saw her teacher lose her cool. She could handle Bakugo's attitude and Kaminari's jokes with infinite patience. The instant Toga spoke, Flint's hand rocketed across the teen's face with such force that Toga's neck jerked to one side. "Flint! What are you doing?" Momo implored, confused. Almost immediately after asking, she remembered the footage of Endeavor's fight with the League from over two years ago. Toga had been one of the ones in the ring when he'd been crippled. "No, Flint." Momo stood and rushed over to grab Flint's arm before she could strike again. "I'll keep an eye on Toga. Please get my mother to safety."

Flint stiffened, but didn't resist. She kept her eyes firmly locked on Toga's, who had the nerve to look entertained. "Good idea," Flint finally declared. Her body shifted easily out of Momo's grip. "While I'm gone, do not pass this one over to the cops. She's going to _my_ boss."

Momo never considered that there was an option other than officers. For just a moment, she doubted Flint. _Is she working for the League?_ As she thought on Flint, she became aware of just how little she knew of the woman. _No. She clearly hates them._

"Momo," Flint said, breaking through her sidekick's thoughts. "I'll get your mom home, then I'll explain and you can decide on your own."

* * *

Out in the field, Shoto and Kamui Woods managed to detain every villain, even the clones. "Incredibly done, Icy Hot," Kamui congratulated his sidekick, well aware of how difficult it would be for many other heroes to accomplish a similar feat. There were obvious duplicates of their captures. "Watch out for Twice," he warned. "Let's do one more sweep of the area."

Though they had arrived almost immediately, Kamui Woods and Shoto still had to step over bodies as they spread out and looked through the wreckage. An injured man lay beneath a beam, his arm crushed. "Help!" He called frantically upon seeing Shoto draw near.

"Help's here," Shoto said casually. He'd never quite adopted having the dramatic voice or catchphrases that were so common among the old-school heroes. "Kamui," he called. "I need help moving something." Though Shoto was strong and had beefed up since his days as a first year, he was nowhere near the tank that his father had been.

Kamui used his wooden arms to latch to a nearby streetlamp and approach them swiftly. "Don't worry, citizen. We'll have you out in a jiffy," he declared, his tone far more reassuring than Shoto's bland voice. "Be sure to put people at ease with your presence, Icy Hot," Kamui frowned as he saw tears streak the victim's face. Kamui latched his arm down and used leverage to push the beam up. "There you go. Can you walk?" As far as he could tell, only the man's arm was damaged.

"Oh, thank you!" The man declared, drawing in close for a hug. Shoto's alarm went off, but Kamui opened his arms to accept the embrace.

"Kamui, no!" Shoto called, darting forward.

"Shoto, stop!" The voice wasn't Kamui's.

The two met, with Shoto's hand on the imposer's shoulder. " _Ujiko!_ " Twice called. Sludge toppled from the clone's mouth and surrounded not only himself, but the two heroes as well. There was not enough time for either of them to do anything more than be taken away. Shoto felt every part of his flesh seem to melt away into nothingness.

Far too quickly, light and matter were gone. They warped through time and space to arrive back at the League of Villains.

* * *

On her way back from the Yaoyorozu estate, Flint looked across the field of ice and captured bodies. She saw that most had their mouths covered to keep from communicating. Others were grouped together and had been frozen in clusters, just out of one another's reach. As soon as she noticed that some were replicated, she began to seek out Twice's masked face. Like Toga, he was on her list.

As expected, she couldn't find him. She had just rounded a corner when she saw Kamui hug a man. Like Shoto, she had a thing about touching and being touched. Her warning bells rang and she made a Bee-line for the trio. Shoto lunged forward.

"Shoto, stop!" She yelled, hoping he'd have enough sense to get back.

It was too late. Just then, the sludge engulfed them all. Every last one of the captured thugs slipped from their icy chambers. The field which had been teeming with villains became nothing more than a frozen wasteland laden with unidentified corpses, broken buildings, and scattered fires. Instinct told her to search for any clues, but and urge to keep her sidekick safe had her rock speeding along at a breakneck pace.

Flint leapt from her boulder and ran through the door, fully expecting Toga to be gone.

For the millionth time, Momo surprised Flint with a stroke of brilliance. Toga had drool on the left side of her mouth and Momo had a steel jar in her hand. "I figured she'd try to escape, so I gave her medicine to make her nauseous," Momo explained. "All of the reports say that Kurogiri helps them to break into prisons, so I made a guess. It seems like Ujiko can only move flesh, not objects. He's either in here or gone, but I kept Toga, just as you asked."

Flint felt a surge of relief. _The agents at headquarters be able to wheedle information out of Toga._

"And Flint?" The woman turned to look at her pupil. Though Momo hesitated, she continued. "I trust you. Let's take her to whoever your boss is."


	19. Heroes Who Kill

**Heroes Who Kill**

* * *

 _I have up until chapter 28 written and chapter 29 in the works, so I'll probably publish three or four chapters in the next two days. Readers, leave comments to let me know how I'm doing. As an author, I find everyone's silence, except Fencer's, a bit nerve-wracking. Thanks for dropping by!_

* * *

Momo force fed Toga a sedative and placed cuffs on Toga's wrists and ankles. The unconscious teen was loaded into the back of the car. For good measure, Flint elbowed the girl on the head. "What did you do that for?" Momo demanded with a disapproving frown. She set the metal jar in her cup holder.

"She twitched," Flint lied and climbed into the passenger seat. "Give me a mirror so I can keep an eye on her, and let's put some headphones on."

Momo sat in her blessedly undamaged car and frowned. She created the mirror and a pair of Bluetooth headphones, which she connected to a local rock station. Flint slid them over Toga's ears and made solid stone band to keep the headphones from shifting. Emergency responders had the unpleasant task of dealing not only with the bodies, but with the damages that the night's events had caused.

"Once you're ready, turn left, then right on 5th. From there, we'll keep going for a few miles." Flint didn't want to interrupt herself to give directions. Momo pulled the car out and did as Flint asked. "Once you know what I have to say, you won't really have a choice, Momo. You're going to have to join the cult." She kept her words grave, yet playful.

For years, Momo had suspected that Flint kept something back. "Does this have to do with the extra lessons you gave some students?"

"Yes, it has everything to do with that," Flint confirmed.

Momo sighed. "Even though I'm your sidekick, I never felt like you let me in, not like you did with the students you took some extra time with."

Flint offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, kid, but this is something that I'd hoped to keep you out of. You're not really the killing type."

Momo's head snapped to stare at Flint. "What?" Her foot released the gas pedal and hovered over the break.

Flint raised her hands defensively, "no, no, no. I'm not going to kill you. I kill the bad guys."

"That's not what heroes do!" Momo felt as if she'd spent her life following a fake.

 _Maybe she shouldn't be driving for this conversation._ "Do you want me to take the wheel?"

"Like hell I do!" Momo shouted. She kept her gaze firmly set on the road. Her right turn was just a bit more sharp than she meant it to be. Toga's limp body slammed against the back door and the girl toppled to the floor. The sound of the 'thump' seemed to draw both women back to a sense of their situation. "Okay, I'm listening. I'm not the killing type," she confirmed. "Are you telling me that UA taught students how to kill?"

Flint sat forward, but kept her mirror honed on the blonde. "No, UA did not teach students to kill. Inside of UA, there are people that are like heroes, but who have clearance kill."

"But heroes don't kill," Momo frowned.

Flint smiled warily. "Yeah, we're told that a lot, so we took a different name. While I am technically a hero, since I have my license, I am more specially known as an agent. Agents have clearance to act to whatever extents necessary to help dissuade and eliminate villains."

Momo found the words hard to swallow. The UA curriculum told her that killers were always wrong. As heroes, it wasn't their job to be a judge, jury, or executioner. "I thought you used to be a farmer."

Toga remained unconscious, which encouraged Flint to continue. "I was," she confirmed, "but I was also a vigilante. Heroes don't bother visiting the middle of nowhere, so I dispensed justice to my area."

"So you went around killing people?" Momo felt sick to her stomach. Though she wanted to be understanding, her tone was thick with anger.

Flint looked at her sidekick and saw the expressions on her young partner's face. Sorrow, fury, and discomfort seemed to war for dominance. Flint guessed that Momo had to talk herself through the entire conversation. "I only killed one guy when I was a vigilante. I got too caught up and angry, so did the town, so I killed him." Flint moved on quickly. "When I applied to be a teacher at UA, there was probably almost nothing on my record, so they accepted me easily. A week into my first semester of teaching, I was approached by a man who worked for the government. He said they knew of my murder and that they were excited to work with me." Even after all her years of service, she didn't know the name of the businessman in a suit. "I received an envelope full of instructions. I went to Quirk Gyms and recruited vigilantes in the name of good. I detailed everything I learned in my time with the League-"

"Your what?!" Momo did slam on the breaks this time. Toga's body rolled into the seats.

 _I definitely should have driven._ "Dabi, Shoto's brother, was my first pupil. He wanted me to teach Bakugo. I was told to join the League or they'd kill Shoto. Speaking of, Shoto has been kidnapped, so can we hurry along?" Though she was doing her best to be patient, Flint felt a rising storm churn in her gut. Her legs tapped impatiently, as if she had no more self-control than a fidgety youth.

"Why didn't you tell me Shoto was kidnapped?!" Momo shot back.

"Look, communication's clearly not my strong suit. Get moving, woman!" Flint slapped her hand on the dashboard in the hopes that the sound could guide them back on track.

"You're supposed to be a teacher!" Momo was torn between hysteria and exasperation. She slammed her foot on the gas and the car took off. "What else did they tell you to do? When did Shoto get taken? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm clearly a very bad teacher, or we wouldn't be having this conversation! Left!"

Momo swerved. "What else did the envelope tell you to do?"

Flint swiftly found her spot back in the tale. "I was to look for the students with killing potential and train a specific few that had been pre-assigned to me and the other agent teacher."

"…the…other?" Momo whispered, unable to imagine that UA was infiltrated by two murders. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. "Who is it?"

Flint avoided answering the question by the arrival of their destination. "We're here. Stop." Momo parked her vehicle and sat still in the driver's seat. Flint stepped out and retrieved Toga. "I have to go report and get a mission prepared. If you want to know what happened to Shoto and help, you don't have to become a killer. Agents can still choose to abstain from ending lives, but it's a big part of the jobs we take." Toga was flung easily over Flint's shoulder. She reached in the passenger seat to grab the metal container, supposedly full of Ujiko, from the cup holder.

Momo warred with herself, but pressed the button that killed her engine. "I still trust you, Flint." Despite the strong statement, her voice wavered and Momo refused to make eye contact. "Why did you take me as a sidekick, if I'm not an agent?"

"You have the brains and talent to become a master strategist for whichever team you join, Momo. You'll be my first and my last sidekick, if it makes you feel any better." Flint climbed out of the car. "If you want to help me keep my nephew out of a snuff film, I need you to walk through these doors with me. Now send a message from my phone, because I'm only explaining myself once." Just as they reached their floor, the power went out for the district.

* * *

Bakugo and Hawks flew though the dark night to the same building Momo and Flint had entered less than ten minutes prior. "What a shit parking job," Bakugo commented as he looked at Momo's car. Hawks took the time to close the doors. The license plate, CREATI, left little doubt as to who could own the vehicle. "Eh? Tits is here?"

Hawks lifted his brows. "…who?"

"She was in my year. Big chest, barely any clothes," Bakugo explained as they made their way into the building. On the outside, it appeared to be as power-dead as the rest of the structures. Hawks pulled the doors open manually and they stepped inside. Though it was dim, the generators were running the lights and supposedly the rest of the building.

Hawks couldn't help but feel in awe of the boy's ability to catch every last detail when it came to battle, but remain ignorant on basic human functions, such as getting to know his peers. "You're telling me you managed to live in the same dorm system as your peers for three years and managed to either forget or never learn anyone's names?"

Bakugo's face reddened. "I know the ones who matter."

Hawks shoved his palm into his face. "Can you name _three_?"

"Half and Half Bastard, Deku, and Tits."

Hawks shook his head and began their trek up the stairs, as the elevator was likely out of order.. "You'll definitely be a hero to remember, Overkill."

Bakugo inwardly seethed at the entirely unnecessary conversation. "There was also Sparky and Pervy Balls," he added, as if he might somehow amend the man's opinion of him. He knew he wasn't really helping his case, but felt some pressing need to try.

"Do you remember any of your teacher's names?" Hawks wondered if he thought the students were below his notice.

"There's Aizawa, Flint, the hamster, Bigger Tits, Gun Guy," his list continued on.

 _Well, at least he remembered the ones we needed_. Hawks thought to himself. He ran his fingers through his hair and the doors slipped open. On the other side, Flint and Momo awaited them. Desks and computers lined the walls, with a large table settled in the center of the room. There were no windows in the room, but the bright bulbs in the light figures had the place plenty bright. White walls were accented with dark grey, laminate flooring. Even before Bakugo could get a lay of his surroundings, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.

"Of course Bakugo would be one of them," Momo said with a tight frown.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean? I literally just got here, bitch."

Flint fired pebbles at both of them. For a blessed moment, Bakugo and Momo shut up and rubbed their heads. "Shut your damn traps, kids. Right now you are both going to listen, because I'm one minute away from losing my shit." Hawks opened his mouth to ask if he was allowed to speak, but he was caught in an infamous Todoroki glare. In that moment, he knew that speaking may not be in his best interest. He made a sign of zipping his lips, but did so with a grin. Bakugo and Momo both knew better than to speak up, as they'd taken her classes and knew just what would happen. More than once, Katsuki's mouth had been filled with sand for trying to talk back.

"Momo caught a bit of Ujiko, their secondary warp. It's down at the lab now, being analyzed. Toga's there too, but she's unconscious." Flint pulled up a screen and began to scroll through numbers assigned to agents. Once she found 0298, she clicked and pulled up Shinso's location. "We're going to the League and once we're there, we're fighting. Shinso's tracker is active, his pulse has settled since the time of attack, which shows he was on the mission. Chances are they trust him or they were desperate for his quirk, so they sent him to work early." She relapsed within half an hour. "Power plant," she said, measuring the location on the map and their current distance. It'd take only an hour on a train to reach them. If they all flew, it'd be even faster.

Hawks decided to break his silence. "Whoa now. Are you sure it's time for us to show our hand? What's Aizawa think of this? Or even the guys in the business suits?"

"I joined the agents the condition that if anyone in my family was captured, I'm free to abandon any missions act as I see fit."

"What the fuck are the agents?" Bakugo dared to ask, mostly because he hated being in the dark.

Flint looked away from the monitor to glance at Bakugo, then Hawks. "You had _one job_."

"I've had like fifty jobs," Hawks retaliated with a smirk. "I was trying to warm him up to it."

"Creati, make a tracker, please, with the code 0666 attached to it. That's going to be Bakugo's number."

"Oi!"

"Because he's hellspawn," Flint effortlessly pulled out her phone and switched to look at a different tracking app. As much as she'd once been a stranger with technology, she had now mastered the basics. "Here. He's in the same building as Shinso, but not the same room."

"What the hell's going on, Dyke?" He hated feeling so clueless.

"Shoto's been taken. If you accept the mission, you can join us and have permission to kill members in the League of Villains." She looked away from the blonde and back to Momo, who had barely agreed to join. "Your job will be dispatch. If any of our beacons are hit once, that means we're in need of assistance and send the heroes down. If we hit twice, we're on the verge of defeat." Communications were important, and Momo was better as the brains than as a fighter.

Already, she proved her worth by creating three small and transparent headsets. Momo handed the equipment out and made sure to tune the feeds to her newly acquitted computer. She looked at the time and saw that it was 4:55. "When will people show up for their shifts?" As of now, the room was empty, but Momo imagined that with the latest travesty, workers would want to come and do some work.

"The suits show up around six. Agents come and go as they need. Say you're one of my newest recruits and there won't be a problem." She pulled a small piece of flint from one of her vest's pockets. "Here, this is the sign I've given to prove you're a recruit." She'd used it with many of her vigilantes from the Quirk Gyms and none had been turned away. "Follow the League's streams and tell me if you see anything with Kamui or Shoto." They'd probably kill the wooded hero before Shoto, who was a son of Endeavor, thus the main event.

Bakugo knew his name included murder, his battle cries all involved killing, and his abilities could easily destroy someone if they weren't careful. Even though he did his best to show he didn't care, he truly did feel a bond with most of his graduates. He, Deku, and Todoroki were all winners of the sports festivals. _If I have to kill, then I will_ , he told himself grimly. All the same, he'd avoid ending anyone's lives.

He grabbed Flint's arm and held her back, allowing them some space between Hawks and Momo. "How long have you been doing this agent shit?"

"Two years."

"Why the fuck didn't you try to recruit me?"

"You could become a hero all on your own. Generally, agents just need a little extra help."


	20. A Pile of Shit

**A Pile of Shit**

* * *

Izuku and Mirio were pulled quite a ways away from their usual patrol. The duo answered the distress call at two in the morning to find the problem with some blocked sewage. While that was normally not something a hero did, there was a lingering gas around the blockage that kept anyone from getting near. _It might be Mustard,_ Izuku theorized as he darted across building after building, his efforts tireless and instinctual after his years of experience. In school, he'd mastered the physical aspects of One For All and had spoken with five of his predecessors. While Mirio didn't know the truth of One For All, Sir Nighteye did, as did Bakugo. Izuku had to be careful not to get caught on camera, or at the very least make his quirks look as if they stemmed from Hatsume's contraptions, rather than the fact that he wielded multiple quirks. The duo descended down to the underground tunnels warily. It only took a few turns before they reached the schematics workers had given them.

The noxious fumes lingered in the air, warning any heroes away. While Izuku wouldn't call himself dishonest, he never publically admitted to what his quirk was. With Mirio, he had no need to hide. In addition to the cultivated strength and agility, he had the Black Whip at his disposal, which was great for catching criminals. _I still have more quirks to learn, and I haven't mastered the ones that I already have_. He'd gone from a quirkless boy to a marvel in such a short span of time, but it didn't feel like enough. These would be his weapons against Shigaraki, the new All For One. He had to make every last one of them count.

Mirio held up his hand, bringing Izuku to a halt. "I'm going to go forward and see if I can find where the gas user is hiding." As they had many times before, Mirio planned to let Izuku use his black whip once they had an estimate on their target.

"The tunnel's clear," Izuku said thoughtfully, "I could just blow all the gas away."

"Oho. We're going for weather control today?" Mirio asked with a playful grin. "There aren't any civilians around, so give it a go." The hero knew that his sidekick's control still needed some fine tuning.

They spoke easily and carelessly. Izuku tilted his head slightly to the left. Right on cue, daggers were thrown at them, courtesy of Spinner. Izuku threw a punch, causing the blades to spiral harmlessly off their trajectories and clatter to the stone ground.

"As good as ever, Stain's chosen hero," Spinner declared reverently.

Izuku was dumbstruck by the man's familiarity. As far as he knew, he'd never seen Spinner in person. Mirio quickly picked up the conversation. "Heyo. Do you think we can get through here?" He started with negotiations, as always.

Spinner sneered and pulled his sword from his back. "Sure, if you can get past me," he sneered.

"Oh-kay!" Mirio dropped down into the ground. Izuku took that as his cue and powered up a punch. He didn't focus on strength or speed, but rather the will to move the wind and add some moisture in the air. He did so quickly, though not nearly as naturally as he used his other quirks. After all, his weather control was his newest ability. He pushed forward with an open hand and felt a gust of wind carry the gas away. Less than twenty meters ahead, Spinner collided with Mustard and the two lay unconscious on the ground. Mirio surfaced nearby and dropped down to check their pulses.

"They must have bonked heads," he chuckled, "but they should be fine." They moved on down the path beside the increasingly narrow channel. "It smells like we're getting closer," Mirio remarked, his nose scrunched at the overwhelming stench.

Izuku slipped his mask over his face. Before he'd had the bunny hood, but now he only had the metal cover for anything beneath his cheeks. It slipped from its collar to over his face neatly. He turned the dial and adjusted the settings. The two young men moved from their swift walk to a darting rush. They passed eight more goons, which Mirio took down easily. For every villain he captured, he took the time to set them on the surface. Officers had been alerted ahead of time to be ready for any nefarious thugs in need of arresting. Before entering the tunnels, Mirio also made sure to get a good look at the sewers' schematics. With their visualization in his mind, he measured the distance by his stride to keep from going too far off course. Occasionally, he'd pop his head aboveground to listen to his colleague. Izuku jumped from wall to wall. "There," he called down. Mirio looked up to see Izuku point to the right.

They both turned and came face to face with the sludge monster who had unwittingly introduced Izuku to All Might. Though he normally favored his legs, Izuku felt a tang of nostalgia. He didn't give the monster any time to talk or jump to the alert.

" _Detroit Smash!_ " He called as he dropped down and punched the sludge monster into oblivion, just as All Might had done. "Uh oh," the black sludge had made it impossible to see what lie beyond, but all that had been left was the blockade.

Most any other hero would have had a problem with physical attacks against the monster. It was only luck that Izuku was the one to find it. "Mirio, let's get out of here. Go up, I'll find you there!" The dam burst and everything that had been held for the past few hours burst out at once. They had parted under worse circumstances before and Izuku had never failed to show up, so Mirio ascended to the surface without any fear for his sidekick.

* * *

Shigaraki enjoyed his more laidback position of leadership. All he had to do was direct the pieces, and the League followed his commands. He sat with Kurogiri in their private bar. Much like All For One had, Shigaraki now lived in a tall skyscraper with full views of the city. His days of hiding in the dark were long gone. At last, he'd put behind the hell of his childhood and climbed to a position beyond his wildest dreams.

An eighty inch, mounted screen played back the League's triumphs of just hours before. "Now the League of Villains have hijacked power for a wealthy district," the newscaster proclaimed, his fist pounding against the table. "This is _ridiculous_! Hundreds of citizens were without power all night because the hero system doesn't work anymore."

"You forget, John, that the sewers were blocked, but that heroes were the ones to fix that." His anchor corrected, an elder woman with grey hair and vibrantly white teeth.

"Oh, so they're plumbers now, Janice?" He sounded exasperated. "I apologize to all heroes! _Thank you_ for keeping our toilets flushing" John proclaimed. He threw his hands in the air and turned to the right, as if he was going to shout at his co-anchor.

Much to Shigaraki's amusement, the scene broke to commercial. "What? How'd they stop that sludge guy? I thought physical attacks didn't work on him." He wasn't as furious as he would have been just years before, but he was quite peeved at the loss.

" _We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a message from our sponsors! Try Mighty Creams! It'll put a smile on your partner's face!"_

* * *

From the outside, the building appeared to have a plethora of windows. Inside the skyscraper, only precious few rooms were blessed with natural lighting. _I must have done well, if they're willing to take me to their real base_ , Shinso thought as he roamed the halls. As far as he could tell, there was no guard on him or any tails. Either thanks to his stunt at the power plant, where he'd brainwashed the security into letting them in, ordered the power off, and taken the faculty as prisoners, or the League's fairly antisocial nature, he was left alone.

Though he was tired from his mission, he found the stillness in the halls as an open possibility. The less time he'd have to spend among them, the fewer crimes he'd have to commit as an agent. _Maybe if I can help them finish the League, I can step down from an agent and be a_ _ **real**_ _hero._

Shinso found remarkably few security measures, which made him think that there was trust among the comrades. He walked with an adapted stethoscope against the walls. Should the need arise, it easily tucked into his scarf. Quite on accident, he heard Kurogiri's deep, soothing voice.

"But my lord, we have what we want. Nobody reported on our raid of Odyssey Labs." He sounded as if he were trying to appease the young overlord. "It's as you wished, the heroes went where you wanted them to."

"Great. I need to pay these people to make them happy." Shigaraki sounded as if he rolled his eyes, almost as if he expected his team to work for free. "I'm going to bed. Stand guard, Kurogiri."

Shinso slipped quietly down the hall and out of the way just in time for Kurogiri to step out of the room and outside the door. Shinso expected the warp to walk and move, but Kurogiri stood perfectly in place. _That must be his room._ He knew they couldn't possibly get a better time. With each passing day, the League's power increased. First he sent a text to the Agency database.

 **Shigaraki and Kurogiri alone. False windows. Head to roof.**

Shinso pressed nudged the concealed beacon on his left hip.

* * *

Twice failed to inform Shigaraki of their prisoners. One Ujiko had delivered Kamui Woods and Shoto back to the base, a portion of the villain slid himself up their noses. Every time Shoto or Kamui tried to activate their quirks, they were faced with the quirk's unpleasant taste and the feel of falling apart.

Once they tired themselves out, the two were led to two cement cells with heavy iron doors. "Welcome to the end, kid," Twice giggled. "Finally, I get to see the Todoroki panda in the flesh." He frowned, as if disappointed. "You're smaller than I'd expected." As he put Shoto in his prison cube, Twice jabbed both heroes with the same needle.

Even with no audience, Kamui wouldn't falter. "You'll be stopped," he said, radiating confidence to the end. In his heart, he knew that they were far more likely to star in a short, unwilling career in acting. He crumpled to his knees, severely reducing the effects of his words.

Twice locked their doors and chuckled. "Keep it up, Woody. We got a new serum that we want to try on you and viewers are available at _any_ time." He peered at Shoto, who had fallen unconscious at once. _I'll let Shigaraki know when comes down. First, I've gotta tell Dabi._ Twice hoped he'd be there for the brotherly reunion. As Kamui was scheduled for a swifter death and he wasn't seen as nearly as much of a threat, his dose was lesser than Shoto's.


	21. In the Shadows

**In the Shadows**

* * *

At six in the morning, Shigaraki was sound asleep with Kurogiri guarding his door.

Bakugo, Flint, and Hawks had just landed on the roof.

Shinso picked the lock to the roof's door to admit them.

"There's no heroes here, so be sure not to hold back." Flint's short, motivational speech stung Hawks and Bakugo, the former who hated his life in the shadows, and the latter who was still angry that he hadn't been recruited sooner. Bakugo wanted to be the best, while Hawks wanted nothing more than an era where heroes could peddle away their days solving minor spats. Shinso recalled the statement vividly, as it had been one of Flint's favorite teachings during practices.

Tokoyami met them at the base of the stairs. "You weren't followed," he reported. "As far as Dark Shadow and I can tell, nobody is on the floor except them."

"Tsukuyomi?" Hawks sounded thrilled. "I heard you were an agent, but assigned to someone else."

Bakugo felt a twinge of jealousy at the duo's familiarity. Not for the first time, he felt as if he may not have been Hawks' first choice as a sidekick.

"I was never assigned a mentor. I've been here since graduation, on orders to collect information."

"Come on, guys. This isn't the time or place. Which way, Shinso?"

"Just down here," Shinso turned and began to lead them away. Flint jammed the lock with sand, thus preventing anyone from blocking their escape. She broke her getaway boulder into several smaller chunks of gravel and had it litter the roof. Overall, it appeared as if nobody had been there.

"Bakugo, give Shinso your headset," Flint directed, aiming to take charge.

Bakugo refused. "Quit treating me like some extra," he snapped. "I've been quiet this entire time, but now it's your turn to shut up, Dyke. I've got a plan, and it's gonna work." Though he didn't shout, his brazen words and firm tone settled the group at once.

Hawks couldn't help but feel as if he was the cause for the rupture in his sidekick's demeanor. "Let's hear what you've got, Overkill."

* * *

Hawks led the way with Bakugo's arms held over his head. The former held one of his feather blades to his sidekick's neck. "He won't cooperate," Hawks declared, his eyes already rolling. "It looks like you guys were right after all."

Kurogiri turned his head and chuckled. He wasn't surprised to see Hawks in their building, as he'd been with them for years. "What a shame, it looks like we'll have to-"

"Freeze." Hawks' voice spoke again. Thanks to the poorly lit corridor, Dark Shadow had been able to mask Tokoyami, Shinso, and Flint from view. From the hidden vantage, Shinso had brainwashed the living warpgate. Though Kurogiri didn't appear to be dazed, the tall man stood perfectly still. "Open the door," Shinso said in his normal tone. If only they didn't have to ask about Shoto, he could have brainwashed Shigaraki, too. Since Kurogiri had responded to Shinso's question, he was trapped in the quirk.

Hawks set his blades by his sides and Bakugo smirked. Phase one had gone without a hitch. Kurogiri did as he was told, his eyes ever so slightly less vibrant. The team knew that whoever went in Shigaraki's room first would have to go in with a strong hit. Bakugo led the charge with an explosion at the villain lord's bed. The blast was powerful enough to lift their mattress off the frame and plaster Shigaraki against the ceiling.

The rude awakening really pissed him off. Shigaraki and his pillows dropped back down to the earth with a curse. "What the _fuck_? Can't a man get a good night's rest?" He shouted to nobody in particular. "Ah, of course," he said, marred face honing in on Bakugo, " _it's you_. You know what? Fuck you, kid. You wouldn't even make a good Nomu!" Shigaraki found his feet and charged towards Bakugo. With every step, his body glistened to a head to toe silver metallic sheen. Tetsutetsu had gone missing in their second year, with no body found or video made.

His hardening was a perfect contrast to Bakugo's explosions, but he knew his way around the block. Bakugo rushed at Shigaraki with the intention of knocking the man down and holding him until the metal wore off. When he got in close, he touched his forearm to Shigaraki's throat. Instead of feeling steel, Bakugo felt as if he'd been glued to a pile of mush. "Ugh. What the fuck?" He couldn't help but ask.

Of course, Shigaraki was all too keen to explain. "I'm the new All For One." He reached his hand out to grab Bakugo's face. Flint rushed into the blazing room and redirected the inferno into a spear as long as long as an arrow shaft. She plunged the weapon directly into the portion of flesh just above Bakugo's arm. It glanced off, which only pissed Shigaraki off. "And of course _you're_ here, too, Maki. Or is it Flint now?" A sudden gust of wind blew her back. Now that the flames were controlled, he was able to use his air quirk freely. "I promised Dabi I wouldn't kill you, so stay in the corner like a good hag."

Struggle as he might, Bakugo couldn't free himself. He used his foot to kick out Shigaraki's legs and shove him to the ground. Tokoyami rushed from the shadows and found equal freedom of movement with Flint controlling the fire. Dark Shadow leapt into Shigaraki's mouth and cut off his air supply. Flint saw Tokoyami move and extinguished any remaining embers, as to not hinder what seemed to be their one shot. Shigaraki's eyes bulged and he lost control of his quirks. His flesh softened to a uniform texture and Bakugo was able to pull his arm free. He grabbed onto Shigaraki's thumb and yanked backwards, breaking it instantly. Shigaraki howled in pain. _One quirk down_ , Bakugo thought. He pulled himself away and stood over Shigaraki. His hand pulled the pin on one of his gauntlets. "Any last words, Facepalm?"

Whether by luck or design, the force of changing air smacked Kurogiri, who was then freed from his brainwashing. " _Shit!_ " Shinso called just as Kurogiri created a void. Shinso activated his scarf and threw it around Kurogiri in an attempt to trap him, all the while knowing it was in vain. Hawks was the closest, so he could stab Kurogiri's true body. Ink black blood splattered over his face as he tore down.

Though, Shigaraki managed to escape, Kurogiri did not. The warp, the League of Villain's main reason for their dramatic rise to power, stood bleeding and dying. Hawks twisted his iron-like feather in Kurogiri's body. "Where'd you send him?" He growled.

Kurogiri grimaced, but was surprisingly satisfied. "To his new destiny."

Hawks drew his weapons free and Kurogiri dropped to the ground.

"Check the other rooms!" Flint shouted, barely taking the time to revel in their victory. She ran off, leaving Bakugo, Hawks, and Tokoyami in her wake.

Shinso sprinted after her. "You shouldn't go off alone!" In his haste, he never got an earpiece for communication.

* * *

At six in the morning, Momo met the suits.

"Dad?" Momo asked, staring straight at one of the many suited men.

Ken Yaoyorozu, a well-paid government employee, uncomfortably met his daughter's eye. "Momo? What are you doing here?" He stepped towards her and attempted to take Momo's arm. She pulled away and took a step back.

"Stop, I have to be here," she declared firmly as she stood behind her monitors. She had each of the agents' numbers flashing in her screen, showing her where they were. In her ear, a nearly translucent device helped her hear everything they were saying. " _No!_ " The word cut through her feed. "Flint?"

"What are you doing, Momo? This is no place for you."

"This is no place for any hero, Dad," she snapped back.

* * *

Shoto awakened to a pounding head and all of extremities asleep.

"Long time no see, Shoto Todoroki." Dabi peered into his brother's cell with the enthusiasm of a child in the zoo. At six in the morning, Dabi found his long lost brother. Shoto recognized the voice, but couldn't muster enough energy to try to look up. He concentrated on the bland, concrete floor beneath his palms.

"Dabi," he said in a quiet voice.

"You had your chance, kid. I aired our dirty laundry so we could all finally get some closure. I knew Fuyumi and Natsuo would be worthless, but _you_? _His crowning achievement_? I never knew that _you_ would let me down." Shoto heard the solid 'thump' of a deadbolt disengaging. "The only thing different about us is our age, Shoto." Dabi extended his forearm. Though it was mostly covered with his navy blue sleeves, Shoto could see the lack of flesh and staples that connected his skin to scars and muscles. Dabi was so confident in Shoto's disorientation that he didn't bother to close the door behind him.

When Shoto didn't reach, Dabi frowned and kicked his younger sibling in the stomach. "Get up," he said with a smirk. Dabi kicked Shoto again and snickered. "Come on, big, tough Shoto. Can't you stop the bad guys with your almighty quirks?"

At any other time, Shoto could have fought back. He expected to regain a better sense of mobility with his body, but his sense of balance was nearly nonexistent. Every blow had him drop to the ground like a pathetic child.

Flint dropped her phone and bolted into the room. She led with a strong right, flaming hook to Dabi's face. No amount of training or desensitizing could make up for his lack of flesh, which Dabi confirmed with a loud shout. He stumbled, but managed to retain his footing. "Shoto, burn your damn fire," she ordered. She sounded so much like Endeavor that Shoto felt the stubborn urge to resist the command. "If they drugged you, the fire will help your metabolism will burn it up!" She continued to move into Dabi and kneed him straight in the groin. In the same move, her right hand snatched his black hair and slammed his body to the ground.

Shinso listened from the other side of the door, a string of brainwashed people lined up against the wall, well away from any doors or potential projectiles. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just had to tell her she shouldn't go alone," he muttered to his silent audience. He reached for Maki's dropped phone and dialed 119. "You have five more minutes!" He called to Flint, even as he heard Dabi slam against the ground. He took a step away from her stream of obscenities while she bludgeoned her nephew with rocks. Shinso found a few new key phrases as he explained the situation to the officers. Once he hung up, he finally noticed Kaumi in the cell. "Hey you," he said to Twice's hypnotized figure, "unlock this door, then give me the keys."

Kamui seemed to be appalled by the language that streamed from his neighboring room. "Shouldn't we intervene?" He asked as Twice obeyed the command. Once Kamui was free, his wide eyes barely dared to peek at what was undeniably happing right beside him.

"Wood and fire?" Shinso asked as a stray flame funneled out the door. Kamui instinctively stepped back. "Good idea," the teen smirked. "Just hold these guys for me, would you?" Kamui seemed all too happy to oblige. Shinso and Kamui took the keys from Twice and shoved the small audience of thugs who wanted to see Dabi and Shoto fight into one cell. Shinso kept them brainwashed, but Kamui released his hold.

* * *

Momo began to pull up the hero database. "I'm sending backup, they'll be there soon! Just hang in there." She had only begun to select which contacts she wanted when the power to the building was shut off. "Are the generators out? We need backup ones, now!" She hadn't gotten a good enough look to plug any into her phone.

* * *

Dabi cackled through the assault. "You're a Todoroki, all right!" He screamed. Though his body certainly felt his injuries, his mind didn't seem to accept them. "You're no hero. You're just another fake!" He failed to realize that he had blood streaming from dozens of burns. "I inherited Mom's quirk too, Shoto. See? I have weak skin." He snickered and wiped a bleeding palm over his face.

Flames erupted from Shoto's left side. "It's my turn," he snarled. Nobody spoke ill of his mother.


	22. One For One and All For All

**One For One and All For All**

* * *

At six in the morning, All For One sat up for the first time since his fight with All Might. The drugs Shigaraki's Nomu had stolen were put into All For One's bloodstream for a final burst of energy and strength that would allow his weakened body to move, but only for half an hour. Beyond that, death would be guaranteed unless he found a more suitable option.

Right on time, a warp appeared and Shigaraki dropped unceremoniously towards the floor and would have hit it, if not for All For One's interference. He used a telekinetic quirk to save the man from falling. "Oh good, you're unconscious," he sneered. "I'm not sure if I could have tolerated another one of your tantrums."

Shigaraki's limp body floated to All For One. Deku slowly lifted his head and watched the two bodies merge into one. Tubes popped out of All For One's figure. Flesh met flesh in an elastic, sickening dance. All For One's grotesque figure bubbled around Shigaraki's and Deku couldn't help but be reminded of a snake swallowing an egg. Several cracks and pops snapped through the air. Each noise made the green haired teen wince and slip further into alertness. He found himself unbound, but unable to stand.

"Just a moment, my boy." All For One's voice came through the air. "You'll have your answers soon."

While he merged and took back his old quirks, Izuku felt a sudden presence steal away his mind. He resisted with as much power as he could, but a familiar voice stopped him. " _Hey, kid! Knock it off, I'm trying to talk to you._ "

Oh how Izuku wished he had a voice. All Might stood before him in his scrawny glory. As with every other vision, the boy had no mouth, no arms, and no way to communicate. His eyes filled with tears and longing as he looked at his predecessor. _All Might._ He had spent so much time trying to have his vision with this particular vestige. He slept in places where All Might had some of his greatest victories. He trained until he bled. " _Don't go cryin' on me, kid_ ," All Might said with a smile.

" _You've learned that One For All is evolving. You got black whip, weather control, and you've barely tapped the surface with your empathy, but it definitely can be used to locate your enemies. I've got to hurry and just tell you about the last three, young Midoriya._ " All Might seemed just as aware as their impending doom as Izuku. " _The first one won't help you much right now, but you can dream-walk. Last of all, you have the powers of-_ "

 _No! All Might, what is it?_

Izuku was torn from his visitation. He felt as if his body was moved from one seat to another. Before him stood a completely unrecognizable figure with messy blonde hair, a strong jaw, and a sneer so arrogant it could put Bakugo's to shame. "Don't listen to him, Izuku Midoriya." Izuku wanted to run and struggle. He was more trapped than he'd ever been in his life. As frantic as his mind was, he couldn't move his body.

"Take a moment to appreciate my genius, son. What other father could make you the most powerful weilder of One For All?"

 _W-what?_ _You're wrong! I've seen my dad before!_

Apparently, All For One could hear his thoughts. "Is that so? Do you have any memories of him? Any photographs? What did your mother tell you when you were curious enough to ask?"

Izuku felt panic rise as his childhood was forcibly drawn from his mind. All For One scanned idly through Izuku's thoughts like they were pages of a photo album. "How strange, that nobody teased you for not having a father. Even the ever insensitive Bakugo tormented you for everything else, yet steered clear of this topic. Your mother told you he traveled for business, but she never told you where, or what he did." Izuku felt his mind close and the images fade. "Yet you never questioned it." All For One smirked. "The quirk is called 'taboo'."

All For One let the knowledge settle for a moment. "I fully intended on finally dying and allowing Shigaraki to inherit my abilities. His twisted mind seemed like the right fit for the new Villain Alliance. The moment he chose a body altering quirk, I knew he wasn't the one. He was so lazy and unmotivated that he let all of his underlings do the work, only occasionally tossing out an original idea of his own. He put the Alliance through years and years of the same _boring_ routines. Even the citizens must be desensitized to the unseemly chaos. He's not the Kingpin they deserve."

"When I fought Nana Shimura, I measured myself against One For All. She failed. I tried again against All Might and was pleased with how much better he did. If my foresight quirk is correct, you have all of the quirks at your disposal." All For One grinned. "Then again, my foresight is never wrong. It told me that if I had a child with Inko, I would father the ninth holder of One For All. Using the foresight, I transferred a nearly undefeatable sludge ability to a low tier thug desperate to make a name for himself."

 _The sludge monster. You mean he planned this from the start?_

"It really wasn't that hard, Izuku. Time is of little meaning to me. Family, though, is everything." Both All For One and Izuku were shoved from the vision. Izuku heaved in a breath and scrambled to his feet. Before him, the same blonde man sat nonchalantly on his hospital bed. "I've held onto your quirk since you were a baby. The visions only came true when I took it from you."

 _My…quirk…?_ Izuku kept his mouth shut. _No, I don't believe him. The X-ray said I have two joints in my toe. I don't have a quirk._ Even though he knew All For One had telepathy, he didn't trust himself to speak and couldn't stop his thoughts.

"I must have taken it from you young enough that it never manifested in your body." All For One pulled his blanket back, showing his white pants and shirt. "Don't tell me you never noticed how much more observant you were than your mother. You carried around a notebook to write your observations and learned fighting styles with a single glance." All For One stood and Izuku took a step backwards. "Those are just two of the many things you inherited from me."

Their area was dimly lit, but otherwise looked like a normal hospital room. Izuku turned and walked for the door. Of course, it was locked. "I was impatient to learn about you," All For One continued, ignoring the feeble attempt to eascape. I sent one of my child-spies into your class. She wrote about everything on a shared file where I could read it. Since she was invisible, all she had to do was sound welcoming and you heroes would accept her openly."

 _Hagakure._

All For One smirked. "Have some sense, son. How could a stealth quirk like invisibility help someone in defeating robots?" He strode to the mirror and looked over his restored face. "Where's your gratitude, son? I've given you everything."

"You killed All Might," was all he could whisper. He barely managed to find his voice at all.

"And look at how much sooner we could reunite without him hogging One For All."

Izuku felt a depthless hatred sear into his heart. He summoned his black whip and attempted to use it to wrap around All For One and end the nonsense once and for all. Dozens of whips stemmed from his palms and shot outwards from his hands. He aimed and felt triumph as the coils began to entwine All For One.

Izuku's hope faded when All For One took a single step and was able to knock the younger man off balance. _What? I had him._ Very few people had escaped his black whip. Izuku clenched his jaw and charged up full cowling. He pushed himself from the ground to a nearby wall, hoping to displace All For One in return. Extra coils moved to wrap around the giant's bare feet.

All For One blinded Izuku with a flash of pure light white. Izuku threw his arm up in a vain attempt to protect his eyes, losing his hold all the while. He dropped back to the ground, his focus switching to his empathy. He regretted his choice in an instant. Though he had seen into villains' emotions before, he felt as inconsequential as an ant trying to understand a human. Izuku couldn't even comprehend half of the emotions he felt in All For One – the primary one being amusement not only at Izuku, but at the world. Midoriya drew away from his empathy as if it were a snake ready to bite him.

Though he was indoors, he could control some aspect of the weather. He conjured a thick fog in the vain hope that All For One might be limited by a lack of eyes as well. Izuku listened carefully to All For One and gauge where he was in the room. When he felt he had a good guess, Izuku launched.

"I'll see you tonight, Izuku." Too late, Izuku knew he had gone in the wrong direction. He landed and shifted to alter his course. "For now, I have a group of villains to lead, a nation to wow, and disgusting yakuza to crush." As he'd done before, All For One became incorporeal and left the room without a trace.

 _He sounded like he was everywhere. I couldn't get a read on him._

Izuku knew he should lead a pursuit, but he couldn't ignore that everything All For One said had made sense. Not only that, but there was a feeling of rightness that was too overwhelming for him to push back. Even though he wanted desperately to escape, he found himself trapped in his own head thanks to the temporary blindness. For just a few minutes, he was forced to confront what he'd been told.

All too soon, he heard footsteps approach. _My vision's not fully back, but I'm not going down without a fight._

* * *

 _I spent the most time on this chapter, as it's the most pivotal. I had fifty pages printed out, annotated, the chapters mapped...and Shigaraki's story had a lame end. I chased down some theories and constructed some of my own. Whether or not you agree with All For One being Deku's daddy, this will by far make the most dramatic, gory, intriguing, and edge-of-your-seat tale._

 _So naturally, now I have eighty pages of text and notes, this is page 64 of my document. I actually have 81 pages written._

 _The reason I do my multi-chapter system is so I can flesh out the story appropriately to add and take parallels. I didn't truly finish this one until just after dinner last night. I took this chapter to bed, edited it about two dozen times, and am finally happy with the product._


	23. Lost to the Flames

**Lost to the Flames**

* * *

Shinso looked over the captives in the cell. Only when he was confident that he remembered all their names, thanks to the agents and their quirks, thanks to the agents' database, did he remove his brainwashing and slip the key into his costume's pocket. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods looked through the cabinets for any anything of worth. In the end, he found no records, drugs, or even intelligence to add to the investigation.

Dabi sneered at his sibling, even with blood dripping from his broken nose, fresh burns on his flesh, and a tear in his shirt. As predicted, Shoto's fire burnt through his system with remarkable speed. Whatever drug they'd used cleared in only a brief time. As soon as he was able, Shoto stood. Dabi pushed himself up from the ground. "Come on then, _Crowning Achievement_. Mom's Favorite." He used silly titles that wouldn't mean anything to anyone else. Each word was accompanied by several meters of ignited blue flames. Not only the cell, but the lobby where Shinso and Kamui lingered became too hot for anyone but a fire wielder to linger.

Before the fight started, Flint and Shoto made sure to toss their ear pieces out, as to not have them melted into their flesh. Shoto took each phrase personally. He couldn't help but remember Endeavor's brutal dismantling, followed by his merciless death. Screams of terror resounded from the villains trapped just next door. "Move your brawl, idiot, or you'll kill your comrades," Flint warned Dabi.

"I don't give two shits about them!" Dabi declared as he sent his first attack. A wave of sapphire death blazed through the air and dropped towards Shoto and Flint from above. Flint manipulated a handful of gravel from one of her many pockets and created a solid platform to shield them. It sputtered at the sudden heat, cracked, and burst, but not before Shoto could throw a jet of fire to Dabi's face.

Dabi ducked down low, as his back was against a wall and he had nowhere else to go.

Shoto was there waiting for him. Right after he'd fired, he slid forward, feet first. Dabi felt his brother's white boot slam against his already broken and bleeding nose. His staples ripped and jaw began to seep with blood. Dabi wasn't given any time to react. The very next moment, he felt an elbow jab into the back of his neck. A lingering, stinging pain drilled into his body.

As he'd done over a decade before, Dabi drew far too much fire to control. He chortled and drew more and more fire until the concrete began to crack around them. _They're too hot. Even for us_. _If Shoto uses his ice, we'll be boiled alive._ Flint thought. The door opened inwards, so the pressure of the heat and drafts from outside meant it was firmly wedged shut. The metal frame groaned in protest. Flint tried to lift her sand to do something, anything, but all of her earth disintegrated before she could try anything.

The second he heard the door slam, Shinso began to shout from the outside. He used his voice adaptor to make himself sound like Shigaraki, ""Hey, Dabi!" Flint, "Hey!", and finally Shoto, _"Asshole!_ " No matter what he tried, they didn't hear over the billow of battling gales. The concrete of their cell cracked.

 _Fuck._ Flint raised her hands to adjust the debris. It burst. All at once, the villains Kamui and Shinso had so painstakingly gathered were burned alive by a small fissure in the wall. Twice and his comrades screeched and pawed at the walls in a desperate, yet futile, attempt to escape. Far more quickly than any other fire, the inferno engulfed and disintegrated the brutes to cinders.

Shoto lifted his arms to block against the heat. Sweat evaporated from his brow before it even had a chance to form. Quite unexpectedly, a hand grabbed his arm and shoved him face first into the corner. "Stay!" The commanding voice of his aunt ordered. Though he wanted to refuse, he flet that any motion might get away of a counterattack. Surely, she had a plan.

Flint kept the brunt of the fire off Shoto with her own pyrokinesis. Even as she felt her limestone explode into her hips and blood fizzle beneath her suit. The woman stumbled forward a single step, but refused to go down. Her hair billowed. The skin on her hands blistered. She became aware of her dry eyes and loss of sight, even with how she redirected the fires' brute force. Luckily, her clothes withstood the blaze. Every breath became difficult, but she couldn't see why. Dabi's fire had always been clean and smokeless. Why now, of all times, would her lungs abandon her? Her mind became tuned to one purpose – to keep the creamation at bay.

Dabi's maniacal cackles puttered into silence. He dropped to his back with a broken smirk, the left side of his face undone. His turquoise eyes stared at the ceiling, satisfied with his victory. His gaze remained locked on Flint, even as she fell forward. She belly-flopped onto the ground, too injured to even try to catch herself.

Shoto watched in paralyzed horror to see one of his greatest fears come to life. He ignored the villains' ashes around him or even Dabi as he choked to death on his own blood. The moment he could shake himself from his thoughts, he dropped to his knees and rolled Flint to her back. "Auntie," he muttered, feeling like a child who had just been protected. Shoto gingerly slid his fingers on her neck to check for a pulse. Though he found one, it was weak. Around him, the blue flames lazily fluttered about, burning all they touched. The concrete cracked again, offering a final warning.

A moment later, the ceiling caved in. Shoto barely managed to summon his ice in time to safe them both. He stared at his guardian, unable to comprehend that the blistered, grotesque face could be his teacher and mentor. Her hands were scorched black and large spots of brown her hips, where she'd kept wet limestone.

Even though his ice melted to boiling water, Shoto made himself and Flint a passage to the door. He froze the handle to cool it, and waited for the water bubble and simmer. He repeated the tedious measure several more times before he felt secure enough to reach for the handle. Shoto let himself out, his aunt's arm draped over his shoulder. Even as he left the room, he set fire to the remains. His remaining block of ice hissed into oblivion, melting ash, water, and fire into an unidentifiable mass of slush.

"Icy Hot you-" Kamui and Shinso ran around the corner to see why the fires had stopped. Kamui lost his composure when he saw Flint.

"Dabi's dead and so are all of the other prisoners." He moved past the duo. "Let's get out of here." Shoto was desperate to get Flint to a hospital. With every step, gory visuals of his family filled his dark, unpleasant thoughts.

"I called 119, so first responders should already be here. Let's get downstairs," Shinso instructed. Using his mediocre knowledge of the tower, he turned and led the way.

* * *

Ken ripped Momo's earpiece from her and tossed it to the ground, where he slammed his heel to the device and crushed it beyond use. "You are _not_ an agent. You are just a silly girl in over your head!" His words were desperate, as if he were begging her to agree.

"I'm not an agent," she agreed readily enough, stunned by his reaction and livid that she'd been cut off of her team. Why did he seem so relieved?

At six thirty in the morning, a tall man with spiky blonde hair strode into the agent's office as if he owned the place. He was dressed to impress, his suit fitting his imposing figure well. The moment Momo denied her involvement with the agents, he stepped into the suits' office. "Then you're a liability," he said casually. He lifted his hand as if he were swatting a fly and Momo was thrown against the nearest wall.

Ken Yaoyorozu watched in horror as his daughter dropped to the ground. Whether by accident or the blonde's design, she hit her head at just the right angle to knock her unconscious. "What about the rest of you? Are you all agents?" He challenged.

Ken dropped to his knees and checked Momo for any signs of injuries. "Don't worry Yaoyorozu. She'll live." The giant sneered. "After all, your family owes me a debt for your wealth and powerful quirks." There was a low murmur through the eighteen gathered businessmen and women.

"You all have signed confidentiality agreements, so let me tell you who I am. I am the founder of this little organization, All For One. If that's too long for you to say, you may call me Master." He stood at the front of the room, where he could measure everyone's reactions equally. Some men and women looked horrified, while others clearly didn't believe a word he said.

"If you have any questions on how you can advance to the top or can tell me why you're of use to me, I'll consider swapping your worthless quirks with ones more suitable to your tastes." All For One knew he was in a room full of morally grey people. He smirked when a beautiful young woman, who looked like she could be the office gold-digger, approached him with a request.

"Do you have one for eternal youth?" She asked, all while flirtatiously twisting her strawberry blonde hair.

All For One found her advances amusing and not erotic in the least. She was a flea trying to appeal to a tiger. "If you can find someone willing to trade, I'm sure they'd be happy for a peaceful end."


	24. Shimura

**Shimura**

* * *

Officers streamed into the League of Villains' skyscraper. Men dropped from helicopters and tried to kick open the windows, only to fail. They all acted under the impression that pro heroes would be called and all they'd be doing was cleaning up the mess.

They had no way of knowing that Momo had failed in her task.

The remaining twenty villains heard the storm of stomping boots down in the lobby and went to investigate. Muscular raced down to meet them. First he grabbed one of the cops by their ankle, grew his muscles a small amount, and whapped them against another of their comrades. Their Kevlar-armored bodies absorbed most of the impact, though there was still the sickening crunch of momentum as they both toppled to the floor. Guns were fired, only to fall harmlessly into his flesh. Muscular took a deep breath in. "Oh man. I'm about twelve inches more excited than I thought I'd be!" He declared shamelessly.

Several other villains managed to get kills of their own, but none were nearly as brutal as Muscular's rampage. He rushed through the thick of the officers with his arms stretched out, clotheslining them in the neck and dropping them to the ground. He tugged a man's arm free as if it was nothing and shoved the fellow's limb in a woman's face, his eyes filled with glee. "Lick it. Go on. If you do, I'll let you live." He had gone through the bodies too quickly, and she was the last.

With tears in her eyes, the quirkless woman stuck out her tongue and leaned forward. Muscular shoved his hand out, hooked his thumb under her tongue, and ripped her bottom jaw off. He laughed hysterically and backhanded her to the floor. Even as she lay groaning in a puddle of her comrades' blood and clearly surrendered, Muscular stomped his foot on her gut and watched her entrails slither from her missing abdomen and stomach acid cascade to wet her hair.

By the end of his work, Muscular was the only villain on the floor, as none of them wanted to accidentally be mistaken for prey. Even though Shigaraki could decay someone or make up a plan, they didn't fear him nearly as much as they feared Muscular.

Just like that, he was considered the most dangerous recruit.

"Hey you," Muscular said, pointing at a random villian. "I'm hungry. Make me a fucking sandwich."

Of course, they didn't dare refuse.

* * *

Izuku belatedly noticed his suit and personal possessions were gone. _Who moved me? Was it All For One with some quirk?_ The thought was equally sobering and terrifying. He searched his memories. All he could remember was a jump to escape, pain in his head, then waking up.

 _That's a problem for later_. He looked at what he did have. He sat quietly; unsure why he lingered other than some strange feeling that told him to stay. Only an instant passed before he felt something familiar. He jolted upwards and climbed to his bare feet.

 _Kacchan?_ Izuku closed his eyes and focused on the emotions of people just beyond his wall. Grief covered them like a thick haze. Worry and a need for haste radiated from Todoroki, Tokoyami, Shinso, and Bakugo, all beings he was familiar enough with to identify. Two other figures were with them. _Do they think I'm dead?_ Izuku knew it was time to act. Clad in a white shirt and black pair of athletic shorts, he used Full Cowling and punched through the wall. As he did, he was greeted with blessedly familiar faces, even if he couldn't quite see them yet.

* * *

The agents, hero, and sidekick had managed to join up on their quest to get downstairs.

"What the hell happened?" Bakugo had asked when he saw Flint unconscious and her clothes dripping with blood. Though he tried his best to keep his emotions in check, he had felt a stab of shock at seeing his teacher so severely humbled.

Shinso hesitated only a moment, offering Shoto the chance to talk. Shoto remained silent and kept moving as swiftly and stealthily as he could manage. "They beat Dabi," the brainwasher explained as they'd moved along.

"The fuck? Damn it, Flint, you can't die from _Dabi_!" Bakugo's tone implied it was as pathetic a death as tripping on a banana peel. "What kind of fire user's killed by someone else's flames?" His voice was a low, furious snarl. At that very moment, the wall exploded beside them. Bakugo wondered if a villain had discovered the bodies who he, Tokoyami, and Hawks had so mercilessly killed in their sleep. With Tokoyami's cloaking and Hawks' blades, it had been laughably easy.

Kamui shoved his arm towards the figure from the rubble and instantly nabbed the potential assailant in his wooden tendrils. The green-haired figure jumped free before Kamui could get a grasp.

"Deku?" Bakugo couldn't believe what he saw. Of all the people to be agents, he never would have guessed Midoriya was one of them. He felt a stab of rage. Bakugo felt like he needed to kill whoever had made Midoriya an agent or whoever had kidnapped him. _What the fuck's happening?_

"Do any of you have phones? I need to call Lemillion!" He imagined his hero was probably rushing after his suit. _Knowing All For One, Mirio would walk right into a trap._ It was then that he saw Flint's severely burnt and injured figure. His eyes had gradually adjusted the more he rubbed them, but he thought there might be a problem with them at the lack of structure. Slowly, his mind comprehended that something had gone terribly wrong.

"I've got one," Shinso said, handing over Flint's phone. Izuku reached to grab it without thinking.

Izuku saw the last dial to 119. "Oh good, you called the police." He began to move, knowing full well that Flint needed medical attention immediately, or so her melted face told him. "When will the other heroes be here?" Izuku dialed Lemillion's number, but he was sent straight to voicemail. All the while, they ran after Shinso towards what was supposedly the exit.

Bakugo was suddenly aware of Momo's silence. "Hey, Tits! Who'd you call?" He asked as the group moved along.

They waited, but nothing came in from Momo's end.

Hawks frowned. "Creati," the feathered hero tried her code name.

Again, there was no answer.

Even Shoto, who was nearly lost to despair, knew their situation was dire. "We need to get down faster." Shoto checked Flint's pulse again and paled. He'd had to switch her from an arm around him to fully lifting her and putting her stomach over his shoulder.

"You guys need to stay here," Hawks warned. He looked behind them and saw the trail of blood Flint had lost. "Tokoyami, hide yourself, Flint, and Midoriya. Shoto, I need you, Kamui, and Bakugo to come with me if we're going to get help fast and be able to escort them back." Hawks knew the only reason she hadn't died from blood loss was thanks to her cauterized wounds.

Shoto didn't want to leave his aunt alone, but he agreed it was for the best. He laid Flint on the ground and moved away. By the time he looked back, Tokoyami had already masked the trio's presence. He made sure to hurry.

* * *

Izuku stared, dumbfounded, at the corpse-like body. Instead of looking away, he made his mind focus. By focusing on the problem before him, he didn't have to think about All For One's schemes.

He saw the blood on her hips and saw a hint of bone. _How is she still alive?_ "We need…" _to reverse time_ , "a tourniquet." _I don't think she'll ever be able to walk again._ Even as Izuku began to apply pressure to the wounds, he heard the ruffle of Tokoyami shedding his cloak. _It won't be enough, there's not even blood flowing anymore_. _I wish I could help._

He felt his palm encounter something that seemed to grow. "Huh?" His first thought was that she had been implemented with a bomb. Izuku watched in awe as muscle began to knit and blossom under his hand.

"Midoriya?" Tokoyami asked, holding out his torn outerwear.

"It's…healing itself?" Izuku was awestruck as he watched the damage vanish. He lifted his hand to get a better look. As soon as he did, the skin stopped repairing itself. Her breathing, which he beleatedly noticed had steadied, became shallow and labored once more.

"No, Midoriya, it's you," Tokoyami noted with wonder. "Quick, do it again." Never in their years at school had Izuku displayed such a quirk.

Izuku dropped two fingers tentatively down, then a third, fourth. Nothing. Finally, he used all five of his digits. In that moment, he lost himself.

* * *

Nana Shimura grinned proudly at Izuku. "Were you just thinking, 'I want to save this person?' or something like that? Not really in a heroic sense, but in a 'oh crap, they're wounded' sort of way?" Her grin was broad enough that her eyes nearly vanished beneath her smile lines. "That was my quirk! Now it's yours, Young Midoriya." She took a step forward and pulled the mouthless Izuku into a tight embrace. "Use it with love," she warned. "If you hate someone, it has the opposite effect and will decay not only them, but the clothes off their backs and just about everything else."


	25. Done and Undone

**Done and Undone**

* * *

Hawks deployed his feathers to get a sense of their surroundings. His method was as effective as echolocation, but useful outside of water. Hawks stumbled to a stop as one of his feathers found its way to the hall. He held his arm out to signal his colleagues to stop as well. "Nobody's there," he said in a quick voice, as to not betray his true feelings. Revulsion, horror, and fury told him to press forward and fight the League, but these were instincts that he quelled for the millionth time since he began his double-agent role. He didn't think the more heroic people beside him would be able to turn away. "We have to go back. The roof's our best bet."

"Fine, let's make it fast," Shoto said shortly. He knew that ducking in cover and meandering the whole way, however stealthily, wouldn't help his aunt. Though he knew he was getting reckless, that didn't slow his stride as he rushed down the hall. Nobody thought to question why Hawks had them turn so suddenly.

Shinso wondered if the officers had checked for the heroes and didn't want to show up without backup. He couldn't fault them. For quirkless or beings with non-battle quirks to show up alone would be suicide.

Only minutes had passed, but Shoto felt sure he'd return to a corpse. Bakugo would never admit it, but he cared about Flint's mortality. Seeing her bleeding and dying had made him feel weak, useless, and completely out of his element. During all of their training and internships, all of his classmates had avoided life-threatening injuries.

* * *

Izuku managed to repair the damage done to Tokoyami's cloak. _Cauterized cells can't regenerate, so is this technically some sort of restoration quirk?_ He wondered as he stared at his palms. His empathy alerted him to the three approaching figures. Judging by their worry, they definitely weren't villains. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow discovered them at the same time. When the four of them drew near, Dark Shadow extended to include them. From the outside, they simply appeared to be a part of a darkened landscape. Within the shadow the light was dimmer, but everyone within was visible to the other denizens.

The moment he could, Shoto searched for Flint, expecting the worst. Likewise, Bakugo and Shinso sought their teacher. "What? How?" Shoto looked at Tokoyami, as if his old classmate had been hiding some of Dark Shadow's abilities throughout school.

Tokoyami shook his head and gestured to Izuku. "Midoriya?" Bakugo growled, feeling the familiar stab of envy whenever One For All evolved. Shortly after All Might's death, he and Izuku had discussed One For All. Though Bakugo was rarely of any help, Izuku had gone to his friend and spoken freely of his abilities. Through it all, Izuku had confided in Bakugo not only as his oldest friend, but as a trusted comrade. "What's it matter?" Bakugo declared decisively, as if the matter was closed. "Don't look the gift horse in the mouth, Half and Half. Now let's get out of here."

* * *

All For One descended the stairs to the agents' basement. As he opened the coded door, he was he found several technicians working busily to dissect Ujiko's quirk. He kept away from the men and women at their lab and circled around to the cells. There, All For One found Toga in a holding pen with clear walls, metal framing, and a double lock system. On top of a manual key-lock, it also required a handprint passcode.

In her pen, Toga fidgeted with her costume and bobbed her head to a tune only she could hear. All For One found her complete lack of fear refreshing after his encounters with Izuku and the suits upstairs, all of whom had been as twitchy as squirrels. All For One pressed the intercom button on the wall and began their conversation. "Why do you work with the Villain Alliance?"

Her yellow eyes slid over his figure, looking him over like he was a hunk of meat. Since he knew her blood fetish, All For One found her intense scrutiny amusing.

"Don'cha mean the League of Villains? It's good. Shigaraki trusts us and he lets me get all the blood I want!"

 _What a simple creature._ He wouldn't have to work hard to manipulate her. "The League will be going through a few changes. We'll not only have the tower, but now we'll expand to include these so-called agents." Ken Yayorozu had kept tabs on all of his workers and there was undoubtedly blackmail on all of them. As he'd aged, All For One had found that most people with a half-decent quirk would abuse their power if they were told there would be no repercussions. Using his foresight, he'd encouraged the Yayorozu family to run the organization. Though the agents generally went after his villains, they were too small and too secretive of a gropu to be a true threat.

"Ohhh," Toga cooed. "You mean Shigaraki's going to let us do _more_?"

All For One placed his hand on the scanner and used his master key to release Toga from her tank. "Shigaraki's no longer in the picture. I am All For One, the original and once again leader of the Villain Alliance." He pulled a vial of blood from his pocket and handed it to Toga, along with a burner phone.

"You have approximately one hour to arrive at your destination. Once you're there, drink the blood and try to convince Mirio Togata that you are Izuku Midoriya." All For One felt it was his fatherly duty to see what sort of influence his son had been exposed to. With the phone, he would be able to hear every word.

Judging by the redness on her cheeks and broad, stalker-smile on her face, she'd wanted to become that particular person for quite a long time. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

Mirio hadn't worried for the first two hours. Every minute from then had stretched on and on. Mirio called Sir Nighteye. "Heeee-yo," he said, smiling through his anxiousness. "Deku hasn't come back to see you, has he?"

"No, why would he?"

"Oh, no reason," Mirio said with perfectly feigned nonchalance. "We unclogged a sewer and got separated. I'm back at our apartment." The duo had mutually agreed to live together for the sake of safety, as had many other hero and sidekick pairs did the same. "But he hasn't showed up yet." Mirio had made himself take three showers before he was convinced he'd scrubbed the putrid smell of sewer as best as he could.

"Midoriya's death isn't for many years to come," Sir Nighteye declared in his usual condescending and factual tone. Mirio could imagine his old mentor shoving his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Mirio chuckled and kept face. "You're right, Sir. Thanks for putting my worries at ease!"

"Get some rest. You had a busy night and you're overthinking things," Nighteye ordered. He hung up and the conversation died, but none of Mirio's worries went with it.

He pulled up his tracker app on his phone and looked at Midoriya's location again. _What could he be doing for so long at the coffee place? Is it a girl?_ Mirio had no shame and even fewer boundaries. _I'll just take a peek to make sure he's okay. He needs to shower._ Mirio didn't expect to do hero work, so he put on a white shirt and pair of green khakis, like what All Might use to wear on his days off.

Mirio and Izuku were undoubtedly some of All Might's biggest fans. Every centimeter of their walls were covered with posters of the hero and every story of his achievements. Mirio admitted to his sidekick that he'd copied the hero's hairstyle from a young age, save the bunny-ear bangs.

Though he didn't plan to do any work, Mirio tossed his suit in a black backpack and wore it out into the city. They lived in one of the more bustling and safe neighborhoods of Tokyo where could rest easy at night, but still rush off to their work with a minimal commute.

Mirio didn't have to go far. The coffee shop hosted cats for adoption and was one of Izuku's favorite haunts after a long and stressful battle. He saw his friend sitting amongst a pack of felines, oblivious as always to the dirt on the well-trafficked floor. "Long time no see," Mirio teased his friend. "You forgot to take your suit off." To make his point, Mirio made a show of pinching his nose and fanning his palm.

"Oh, sorry," Izuku responded. He offered a tired, apologetic smile. Mirio could tell by his sidekick's face that he was deep in thought.

"Is something up? Why'd you come to the cat bar?"

"I just wanted a place to think," Izuku answered honestly.

Mirio could sympathize. "What'll help us the most is a good night's rest," he said, offering his hand to help Izuku up. Izuku took it, and Mirio made a show of sniffing. "But first, you need a few showers," he chuckled.

* * *

The mixed group of pros, agents, and sidekicks managed to find their way to the roof. Thankfully, Flint's quirk kept the door from locking, even after they left. "Hawks frowned and tried to twist the handle from the outside. "It's far too obvious that an earth user was here," he remarked. "Tsukuyomi, do you think you can clear the sand?"

Dark Shadow slipped from Tokoyami's navel and engulfed the mechanism. There was a shower of grains and the click of a lock engaging before Dark Shadow pulled himself back out. Tokoyami tested with a single twist and nodded once, satisfied with the smooth turn.

The moment the door was closed, they were on the move again. Kamui used other buildings to latch on and swing from arm to arm. "My agency is close," he called, directing the others to follow him. Shinso was by far the slowest, since his way of moving involved a scarf, running, and jumping, but he managed as well as always.

"I'll meet you guys there," he called out. "I've got to go do paperwork."


	26. Heroes Don't Kill

**Heroes Don't Kill**

* * *

All For One had only begun his ascent up the stairs when Shinso entered the building. Though All For One had plenty of interest in returning to see what would become of the villains in his tower, the kingpin found it far more interesting to leave them to their own devices, if only for a few more days. He wondered if, while he waited, which of the remaining recruits take the mantle of leadership for themselves, or if they would even discover that Kurogiri and Shigaraki were out of the picture. From what All For One had seen, Shigaraki had taken a certain liking to stretching out his legs and letting the henchmen do the real tasks.

Shinso had a keen eye for detail, as did most of the agents, so he knew at once that All For One was an unfamiliar face. Instead of confronting him head on, Shinso kept his eyes forward and used his peripheral vision to capture as good an image as he could.

All For One slowed and stopped. "Brainteaser." The strong, unfamiliar voice was full of obvious recognition. Shinso couldn't help but feel a shudder roll down his back. He repressed his natural dislike and offered a half smile and tilted his chin slightly up to better look the massive blonde in the eye. Though All For One hadn't watched the second and third year sports festivals, he recalled the first year. From the moment he had seen the brainwashing quirk, All For One had coveted it fiercely. Shinso's only saving grace was All For One's patience.

"That's me," Shinso greeted evenly.

All For One grinned. It was nothing more than pure luck that had put one of his most intriguing pawns in his hands. "Do you still long for a flashy quirk?"

Shinso's surprise showed in a brief micro-expression, but he managed to choke his features back to his natural resting bitch face. "Don't we all?" He said and rubbed the back of his neck, a low chuckle accenting his words. From such a small gesture, All For One knew for certain that the matter was still a sore spot.

"What you want is easily achievable," All For One said, catering to Shinso's nature. He felt the young man's eyes flash with barely restrained interest. All For One was a master of manipulation. He knew the seed had been planted, that Shinso would eventually come, despite his better judgment. All the while, the kingpin would covet the brainwashing quirk in silence.

The duo ascended the stairs. Shinso broke off to one of the computer labs and wrote a report on the night. He informed the system of Kurogori and Dabi's death, as well of the events that led to Shigraki's wounding and displacement. He typed of Midoriya's unexplained appearance, Flint's injuries, and her strange recovery. He added the remaining four names of Dabi's victims and marked their deaths in the system. Only when he finished typing, he went through to manually update each file in accordance to the change.

One floor up, All For One watched the update as it happened. He sat behind Ken's desk, his eyes intermittently switching between the monitor and the Yayorozu duo. Since Momo had awakened, he decided it best to address the matter of the agents' operations.

"If you don't wish to assist in your family's company, Momo Yayorozu, I'm sure we could find other uses for you," he stated with a convincing level of understanding, as if he sympathized with her morals. "If you choose to leave the organization, I'll find a new CEO for the agents and hope they don't have the same hesitations." He paused and allowed himself a satisfied grin. "If you step down, I'll be needing your quirk back." He doubted anyone would willingly depart with such a generous blessing.

Momo frowned thoughtfully and looked down at her hand, where she'd created countless things. _Without it, I can't be a hero. I know this is selfish, but I can't imagine any other life._ She had intelligence, but without her creation, she was nothing. Momo couldn't help but feel frustrated with herself for such thoughts.

"Think carefully about your answer," All For One warned. "If you refuse, I'll have no choice but to hand you over to the police." Momo jerked as if she'd been struck and looked at All For One in the eye. "You're an accessory to murder," he continued. "As of tonight; Dabi, Kurogiri, and Shigaraki are dead, along with four other villains." He smirked. "What a victory for the good guys. You must be quite the coordinator." Shinso finished his update and the computer faded to a screensaver. All For One stood, crossed the room, and set his hand on Momo and her father's heads.

"The chances are low that they'd put _you_ on death row," he drew away her quirk. In the same moment, he replicated the action and theft to Ken, who remained loyally by his daughter's side. "But your father is an entirely different matter."

Ken couldn't choke back his terror. He felt his quirk's absence as a void within him.

Momo's answer tumbled out of her. "No, please. We'll…" she didn't want to say the words, but knew it was inevitable.

"We'll…?" All For One pressed; assured of his victory.

Momo took a deep breath. "We'll continue to run the agents."

* * *

As soon as he finished his work, Shinso stealthily moved up the stairs to look into the suits' room, as it was the last place he'd seen Momo. In the confusion of Flint's burns, the others seemed to have forgotten all about her. By the time Shinso glanced into the partially ajar doorway, all of the suits sat at their desks and were busily typing, Momo included.

The large blonde man sat at the largest desk, where one of the more involved suits had always been. As far as Shinso could tell, she wasn't being kept against her will. Yayorozu was still in her hero attire, which clashed dramatically with the far more formal attire of her colleagues, but she seemed settled in. Her brow was creased and deep in thought, but she had made the same face during every test.

Shinso sent a message to his team from last night, alerting them that Momo was safe, and he was headed back to his long vacant apartment. He had put white sheets to collect any dust on his furniture and was rather surprised to see that in his time away, they had been put to good use. Shinso coiled the covers into a ball, stuffed them in his nearly empty closet, and went through the familiar routine of taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and dropping into his bed.

 _It was a good night_ , he thought to himself. Two major villains had been removed from the League's ranks. In the morning he'd check with the agents and see if he should resume his spy duties, but for tonight he was glad for the comfort of his own room.


	27. Lost in Thought

**Lost in Thought**

* * *

Hawks split off from the group. After all of his quirk use and a night without sleep, he was exhausted. "Fill out your paperwork, rest, and I'll see you guys tomorrow. Overkill, I'll keep my headset on so you can alert me the moment I'm needed." As luck would have it, Kamui and Hawks lived and worked in the same block, as did many other heroes. Like hero and sidekick duos, heroes got sick of looking over their shoulders. They took to living in similar areas to watch one another. While it seemed as if they were abandoning the public, heroes were more often targeted than civilians from the League of Villains.

The second they were in Kamui's office and away from his helpful staff, Katsuki shoved Izuku against the wall. "What the fuck, Deku? They recruited _you_?" He said the words as offensively as possible.

Shoto set Flint down on Kamui's couch and pulled out his phone to call Natsuo. Kamui moved over to his desk and began to type, so he appeared as if he wasn't listening.

Tokoyami had a bit more sense than to talk about the agents so freely. "Kamui Woods, is there a place for us to get out of your hair and rest?"

The hero was confused, but figured that in this case, he didn't want to know. He was truly exhausted mentally and physically and still had to fill out paperwork. "There are some extra apartments upstairs that Icy Hot can show you." He trusted his sidekick would report to him if anyone was planning something nefarious. In keeping Deku close, he could always question him later.

Bakugo hated that he'd lost his cool and proved everyone right. _I'm too much of a loudmouth. That's why they didn't recruit me._ _If I wasn't, I could've been killing villains all along!_ It was just the grey area he'd always hoped for.

Shoto ended his call. "My brother is on his way to make sure Flint doesn't need hospitalized. Will she be okay here for the next hour?" She was a tall, strong woman and by no means a lightweight. Shoto was glad she was alive, but his muscles were stiff and protested against carrying her any further.

"Easily done, Icy Hot," Kamui assured Shoto. The four UA students ascended the stairs and went to a room with four bunkbeds.

Only Katsuki wanted to talk. "Why were you there, Deku?" Had he been kidnapped, or had he been an agent all along?

Shoto went to the closet and pulled them out some clothes, all Kamui Woods merchandise with various logos printed on them. He handed the wares out to his comrades and climbed into a bottom bunk. Tokoyami chose the one just above Todoroki, while Izuku and Katsuki continued their conversation.

"It can wait, Kacchan," he muttered, falling face first onto his pillow. Though he'd spent a portion of his night knocked out, he felt more exhausted than he ever had in his life. He figured it might be the backlash from using Nana's restoration quirk. He pulled Flint's phone out and tried to call Lemillion again. As expected, it went to voicemail. He considered the possibility that Mirio may have forgotten to take his phone from his pocket, _again_ and phased through something.

Izuku knew he was supposed to tell them that All For One was back, but then he'd have to explain how he knew and what he'd been told. Even with Katsuki's demands ringing in his ears, Izuku managed to fall asleep.

* * *

 _He fell into a dream that depicted a young teenager with spiky red hair and an undeniably familiar face. Izuku followed the dream and saw her in the middle of teaching. A younger, still burned Shoto stood off to the side. Izuku watched as flint held her arm parallel with the ground, as if she was going to try to stop a truck. "I don't know about you," she told the pair, but kept her words carefully pointed on the ginger, "but my fire has a bit of a kick. Shooting like this is okay for small flames, but it can hurt your shoulder."_

 _Izuku couldn't help but follow along in the training memory. His desire to learn complimented his natural curiosity. His body moved as showed, even though he didn't have a fire quirk. He adjusted along with Flint as her solid stance shifted to a more limber bend of the knees and dropped shoulders. "If you put your palm down and pull upwards instead of shooting out point blank, you can pull more heat and help the flames grow without jarring your shoulder." Again, Izuku copied how she dragged her arm up. His feet remained rooted to the ground. He was so concentrated on his efforts that he failed to notice the ball of fire that danced from his palm._

 _Flint swung her wrist and released the blaze harmlessly to the sky, but Izuku felt the flames tickle his forearm. He jumped and shook his hands back and forth, but only succeeded in making his inferno larger._

 _He saw flashes. Next the red headed boy screamed from a wall of blue fire. "Kill him!"_

 _The red-head was in a hospital bed, his body tied to a hospital bed as carefully as they could manage, but his crazed struggles continued._

 _A black haired figure walked down an alley. He noted Flint's look of defeat._

* * *

Izuku woke up to a room full of ice and the scent of ash lingering in the air. When he looked down at his legs, he saw that not only his bedding, but his limited edition Kamui Woods sweats were burnt. The fanboy in him weeped at the property damage. _Did I just get another quirk? Did Flint-sensei once hold One For All? No_ , he answered himself. _The timing doesn't make sense. Plus, I've never seen her as a vestige._

Shoto stood beside Izuku's bed, his face tipped into a concerned frown. Bakugo and Tokoyami seemed to have slept through whatever had happened. It'd barely been eight by the time everyone settled into their beds. Now that Izuku glanced at the digital clock in the room, he saw it was four in the afternoon. " _Another_ new quirk?" Shoto asked, utterly confused as to how this could be happening.

Izuku may have once reddened or avoided the question with some strange tangent, but was older and more mature. "Yeah," Izuku muttered, avoiding eye contact. "Looks like it."

Bakugo lay awake in his bed, listening to every word. Though he seethed that Izuku wasn't telling him, but the Half and Half Bastard, he decided to yell at the nerd later. "How's Flint?" Izuku went on to ask.

"My brother said he's never seen such a remarkable recovery, but she'll stay in a coma until her body can accept that it's been healed. He's optimistic that she'll wake up." Shoto tried not to show it, but his hope was thin. After such repeated, brutal mental torment, how much longer would he last until he snapped? Izuku was too caught up in his own worries to see Shoto's struggle.

 _A coma? Did I walk into her dreams? Why didn't I see a vestige to talk me through the quirk?_ Izuku sat up and looked at his legs. Though his pants were burnt to cinders, he hadn't even singed his hairs.

"Kamui would like to speak with all of us before anyone leaves." Shoto walked over to the closet and tossed Izuku a new pair of sweats.

Izuku hurriedly got dressed. As he did, he couldn't help but think of Mirio. They'd been separated in the sewers and Mirio was bound to think something had happened. Tokoyami and Bakugo dismounted their bunks, neither one admitting or dismissing their blatant eavesdropping. Izuku followed after. As soon as they got to Kamui's office, the green haired teen spoke. "Please, can you pull up Lemillion's location? I haven't been able to check back in with him since last night."

"Found you!" Mirio declared with a broad, beaming smile. He pointed at Izuku and gave his best impression of a stern frown. "Next time you wander off, be sure to tell me, or at least have the decency not to strip and leave your suit around for Toga to find." His teasing smile made Izuku's face redden.

"Oh god, it's the ghost dude," Bakugo groaned.

Hawks slid the door shut behind the boys. "Your talent with names is beyond measure, Overkill," the man said with a chuckle.

* * *

 _I'm finally set up to make this story set off at a run. Thanks for sticking with me, the setup is mostly complete, and here come the 'oh shit' chapters._


	28. The Way Things Are

**The Way Things Are**

* * *

Mirio began the meeting with his tale. "I found Toga in the middle of your favorite cat bar-"

"Café," Izuku corrected automatically.

Mirio smirked. "She didn't try to fix me when I said that, so I knew it wasn't you. We went back to our place and she tried to catch me when she thought I was asleep." Mirio laughed as he remembered the failed attempt. "Buuuuut, I won," he declared. "I dropped her off to the authorities and ran into Shoto on his way back from the hospital."

Hawks picked up for his portion of the story. "And I was here to pick up my sidekick."

Mirio looked over his sidekick, confused, but greatly relieved. With the kind of hero-killing world they lived in, he was grateful for every day his friends lived. "What happened to you, Midoriya? You defeated the sludge monster and we got attacked by a bunch of sewage."

Izuku was suddenly aware of his lack of stink, even though he hadn't showered. "I remember something hit me in the head." He was confused why his empathy hadn't picked anyone up. "When I woke up, I was in a hospital room in the League of Villain's skyscraper." He hesitated, but decided it was best to fill not just Mirio, but everyone present in. In the long run, it would save him from having to repeat himself. "I didn't smell like the sewers and my costume and phone were gone," the thought that someone had bathed him and seen him naked was disconcerting. He forced himself not to think about it and pressed forward. "All For One was lying on a bed hooked up to a bunch of tubes. Shigaraki was voided into the room and All For One's body stood up. He overtook Shigaraki. All his injuries were gone. He wasn't as strong as when he fought All Might, but it was definitely All For One."

Hawks frowned and pressed. "No offense, kid, but you're just a sidekick. Why were you chosen to witness the ultimate bad-guy's respawn?"

Izuku's face flushed red. He looked at Katsuki, his confidant through his dozens of challenges with One For All. "I…"

Of course, Katsuki offered incentive to break the hesitation. "Just spit it out, nerd!"

"He said I'm his son." As requested, the statement was quick and said in one breath.

Izuku felt every eye in the room bore into him.

"Midoriya, do you look like your mother at all?" Hawks suggested.

"Oh, he's Inko's alright. Deku looks just like his mom." Katsuki declared with a deeper scowl than usual.

Izuku wondered if that meant he looked like a girl, but figured it wasn't the time to ask.

"You've been manifesting quite a few quirks," Shoto said quietly. Through all the years of Hatsume's gadgets, he hadn't been fooled. "You got Black Whip in our first year. If I remember correctly, your physical enhancements appeared later in life, now you can suddenly regenerate and now start fires."

Mirio chimed in. "He can also change the weather and detect when people are near." He'd aided his sidekick's secrets for long enough. It was time to get everything on the table. Izuku was grateful for the think-tank, as it was helping to get his ducks in a row, though he was ashamed for all the secrets he'd kept.

"That has nothing to do with All For One. I'm not stealing any quirks. They were given to me," he reasoned.

Hawks cut in. "It's uncommon enough for people to have two quirks. Anything beyond three is unheard of for everyone but you and All For One. At some point, genetics have to come into play."

Katsuki couldn't help but feel the familiar pang of envy. He had one quirk, whereas Izuku was stuffed with what sounded like half a dozen useful abilities. "So what did All For One want? To boast? Did he say 'Luke, I am your father' and ask you to join him?"

"It's actually, 'No, I am your father,' Izuku corrected.

"Damn it, Nerd, now's not the time!" Katsuki roared. "Just answer the fucking question!"

Izuku flushed. He really was a nerd to pick up on such a minute detail at a pivotal moment. "He didn't really expect me to join. He told me he wanted to let Shigaraki take over the League of Villains, but he was unimpressed with how he ran things."

"Who wasn't?" Katsuki sneered.

"All For One told me who he was and how he'd gone out of his way to make me," Izuku paused for a moment before he pressed on. "The way that I am, and then he left. I punched through the wall and ran into you guys."

Of course, Katsuki was the first to speak, if only to keep everyone from prying into just how Izuku had acquired the first quirk. "Even if he is your sperm donor, that doesn't mean shit. My dad's a pussy and Todoroki's was a wife-beating jackass. All any of us got from them were their abilities."

"…and the insensitivity award goes to…" Hawks muttered.

Shoto turned and aimed a punch at Katsuki's face. Katsuki, who had always been better at close contact, reached his arm to deflect the blow and used his other hand to pull Shoto off balance. "It doesn't matter who fucked your mom, Deku."

"Is there a cap on his callousness?" Hawks muttered to Tokoyami.

"We've yet to find one," Tokoyami answered back evenly, quite used to his classmates' brawling. Over the years of friendship, Izuku and Shoto had learned they had to punch Katsuki back.

"Overkill, control yourself!" Kamui shouted, though it sounded more like a plea.

"Don't tell me what to do, Stumpy. Besides, Half and Half punched first."

Shoto had stumbled and only barely managed to regain his feet. He lifted his arm for another punch, this time with flames attached. Katsuki's sparking first prepared to respond in kind.

Mirio had sat quietly and let the scene play out, but now he was ready to intervene. Quick as a flash, he was between Katsuki and Shoto. He stretched his arms out to push them both back, then make himself incorporeal just in time for the fires to explode on empty air. "That's enough," he declared casually, as if that would end the fight. He gave them both a confident smirk and walked calmly back to his pants. Thankfully, Kamui's mask covered his blush.

Izuku didn't even glance at Mirio. He was used to his friend getting naked out of nowhere.

Somehow, it did. Shoto extinguished his embers and stormed from the room. In the brief struggle, Shoto's phone had fallen from his pocket. Izuku bent to retrieve it and rushed after him. "I'll be right back," he declared to the room at large, hoping it would be enough to keep them from following him. He wanted to ask about his dream.

"Todoroki-kun," he called as he jogged forward. For a moment, he worried that Shoto wouldn't stop. Unexpectedly, he did. They lingered in the lobby just beyond Kamui's main entry, a modest place that looked more like a dental waiting room than a pro hero's office. "Your phone," he said lamely, extending his arm to return the belonging. He held it out a moment and began his question. "I know this may be the wrong thing to ask, but how old was your brother when he, uh, stopped being your brother?"

Shoto frowned at Izuku and retrieved his electronic. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just humor me, please. I think it's important." Izuku made himself stare into the young man's stern eyes and not flinch.

"He was fourteen," Shoto answered curtly. He turned and prepared to leave.

"I had a dream that had a red-haired boy, you, and Flint. He looked like he could've been fourteen. She was talking him through different ways to use fire attacks."

Shoto paused on the top step. Nobody else had been home that day. How could Midoriya have known? "Toya had red hair," he affirmed, his voice slow and questioning. Slowly, Shoto looked over his shoulder, an intense frown on his lips. "Do you have a mind reading quirk or something, Izuku?" Could the answer to the coma be so simple?

"I might," he said with a small shrug. "I'm not quite sure, but maybe I could convince her that her body is safe and she could wake up." He recalled the damages she'd sustained and her dark thoughts. Something told him that he didn't really want to see what was going on in her nightmare. "We won't know unless we try." He sounded as if he had to convince himself, first.

* * *

Shinso awakened to a gentle shake. Immediately, his battle reflexes told him to jump away. As his muscles tensed, he found he was tied to a chair, rendered unable to move. "Hitoshi?" The inquiry came from a familiar voice.

"Neito?" Shinso had to struggle before he could manage to open his eyes. Monoma wore his usual tuxedo, as if he were ready to go out for a night on the town instead of doing one of the agents' many tasks. Shinso looked at his friend with as much befuddlement as his groggy mind could muster. He tried to move and was surprised when even his fingers failed to twitch.

 _My body won't move._

"I'm sorry, my friend." Monoma removed his palm from Shinso's shoulder. "We've been good to each other, haven't we? You've watched my back, I've watched yours," Monoma's voice trailed off into the memories, "but I need one last thing from you."

"Ah, he's here." The soft step of shoes echoed across the wooden floor. Shinso wanted to turn his head to see who spoke, but couldn't even manage to blink. "You've proved your worth, Phantom Thief."

Shinso felt a palm descend upon his head.

* * *

 _For anyone who needs clarification, Shinso's first name is Hitoshi. Monoma's first name is Neito and Neito's code name is Phantom Thief. As an aside, to get myself in Monoma's mindset, I ate crunchy dill pickles. There will be more Monoma ahead, so I'm bracing myself to eat a jar or two of pickles, one piece at a time. Blugh._

 _If you want some extra, entirely out of character information on how I get my inspirations, keep reading. If not, then no need to read. None of this is important to the story.  
I get all of my Todoroki (family) inspirations by making and staring into fires. We have a wood burning fireplace heating the house, so I've had plenty of opportunity for observations. Fire is never subtle, so that's why all the Todoroki are so blunt and, well, borderline insane. _

_I owe my inspiration to All For One to a mixture of my brother and my father. They're both good people, but my father is a businessman, so he has to know how to dress and how to use tactics on how to motivate or manipulate people. My brother enjoys seeing things in the cruelest, worst ways possible and I've rarely seen him flinch or act surprised by anything._

 _My Mirio inspiration is my family's new puppy. I have no idea how or why, but petting that beast's jug head fills me with the essence of Mirio. Maybe it's because the pup is such a sweetie, or it's because he likes to run around naked, blurt out random noises, and show everyone his willy._


	29. A Hellish Rest

**A Hellish Rest**

* * *

Mirio bought Izuku and himself new phones and went home to sleep at long last. As Izuku had guessed, Mirio had dropped yet another one in his haste to phase. "I'm going to go do some investigations," he declared. "If I'm not back by midnight, I'm fighting, captured, or dead," he declared cheerily. Tokoyami went with Hawks to his agency, and Kamui Woods went out on patrol.

Shoto went to the hospital, just in case their plan worked. Katsuki went to bed, so he could stand guard just in case something happened to Izuku's body. He thought of his meeting with the dream walking vestige, a man who dressed in a fashion similar to Best Jeanist. His instruction had been fairly straightforward. 'Think about wanting to get inside someone's head just before going to sleep. You'll probably have a mouth with them, like I did.' Then again, it had been almost a year since his dream walking quirk had supposedly manifest and his only experience had been an accidental trip to Mineta's mind – which was something he very much regretted. Izuku focused and closed his eyes. As soon as he fell truly asleep, he knew he'd found the right place.

* * *

Four figures stood on an endless horizon of blue, orange, and even white flames. Izuku cautiously crept closer. While he knew the denizens couldn't hurt his physical body, he was wary to drop immediately into someone's privacy.

A fourteen year old boy with spiky red hair stood with a scowl and his arms folded. _That must be Toya._ He had his head turned to stare at Dabi, glaring at him with a mix of spite, envy, and hatred. Flint had her hand protectively on Toya's shoulder.

Enji Todoroki glared at the duo. "They're dead. You're dead. We're all dead," he spat.

Dabi still had his same scars, but Enji's body showed none of the damages that he'd sustained in his torment and eventual death. "An eternal Todoroki family reunion," Dabi sighed. "This must be Hell."

"You should have just gone to high school, you ungrateful twat," the father growled at Dabi.

"Look at you, using big boy words on me," Dabi snickered.

Toya rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I turned into a douche like you."

A vein visibly throbbed on Enji's temple. "You were given everything, every opportunity to excel. All you did was piss on your chances and become a loyal delinquent to a murderous child. My son, a lap dog." He spat on the ground.

Flint lifted her hand and threw a blast of fire at Dabi. Though it caught him in the gut, he sustained no damage. "Oh, we're doing this again?" Dabi said gleefully. He lifted his hands, palms to the air, and released a shower of blue embers over them.

While his guard was down, Flint took two steps forward and punched him in the gut. Izuku watched each relentless strike as his teacher pulverized the villain. He lay on the ground, bleeding and broken. His body melted into a puddle of mud and hissed out of existence.

Dabi reappeared behind Enji and snapped his father's neck.

Flint charged towards the noise. As she moved, Izuku saw the same injuries that he'd seen last night. Her hips dripped an infinite puddle of blood, while her face was an unrecognizable mass of blistered flesh. Her forearms and hands were singed black from where she had tried to redirect the flames.

"Flint-sensei," Izuku called, stopping her mid rush. She didn't speak, but she turned towards him. Without his empathy or any body language, he couldn't tell what was going on through her head. "Flint-sensei," he said again, glad that he had her attention. Izuku willed it and the shadows of Enji, Dabi, and Toya vanished. The landscape shifted from the grim fires to her old classroom at UA. He even willed her injuries away, but they took far more effort. When he finally managed to make her the skin in her dream what it had once been, she was confused.

"You shouldn't be in Hell, Midoriya."

Izuku frowned. "You shouldn't either," he countered.

As far as she knew, she was in Hell. What reason did she have to lie? "I've killed quite a few people, kid."

Her statement terrified him. Not only did she speak so casually, but she seemed perfectly indifferent to her victims. He steadied himself and tried a different tactic. Though he wanted to know more, now was not the time. He had to wake her up. "I visited one of your memories," he said. "I saw where you trained Toya on how to safely use his quirk. I tried it for myself and set the bed on fire."

Flint chuckled and sat at her desk. "I never took you for a drug user, Midoriya. Did you find Kaminari's stash?"

"I'm serious!" Izuku bent his knees and squared his shoulders. As she'd once shown Toya, Izuku pulled upwards and a spiraling blaze blossomed to life beneath his palm. It wasn't blue, but white, orange, and golden with power, movement, and heat. "Wake up, I'll show you!" Izuku could feel the dream slipping from his control, but he couldn't tell whether or not he'd achieved his goal.

* * *

 _A vestige covered in head to toe fire stood waiting for Izuku. As always, the teen was robbed of his mouth and body. "Your methods were unconventional, but it seems you've unlocked my quirk." He sounded stern, almost angry, as if he was frustrated to be kept waiting. "When I was alive, my fire was dangerous enough. One For All has merged with it, so you'd best be careful. I was able to create blazing tornadoes larger than skyscrapers and shrink them down before they could cause any property damage." His turquoise eyes were familiar. "The inferno can also be used as a good cell for captives or protection for civilians from projectiles. Exercise extreme caution and don't play with fire, young wielder of One For All."_

* * *

Flint's first reaction was to scrunch her eyes against the light.

* * *

In that same moment, Izuku welcomed the sun gleaming over his face.

"Well, Nerd? How'd it go?" Katsuki demanded.

* * *

Flint saw Shoto's head on her bed. He rested on a seat beside her, caught in a dreamless sleep. Flint began to cough and gag on the tube in her mouth. Her heartrate rose, alerting the staff to her change. A young intern entered right away. Shoto jerked awake with such haste that he knocked his chair over.

"Miss Flint, everything's okay. You've been here for just under two days. I'm Doctor Coffin."

 _Oh yeah, a name like that's going to calm me down. Shouldn't you be in a morgue?_

She stilled, mostly thanks to the cold, rapidly fading memories of her personal hell. She vaguely recalled Izuku as a participant in the dream. Belatedly, she recognized her ability to see. There was no pain in her face or tube directly in her larynx, which meant she had an airway. Flint glanced down at her hands and lifted her brows. _They're fine?_

Over the next hour, she was rid of the machines and needles they'd stuck her with. "Slow down," Shoto warned her.

Flint reached over to her nephew and ruffled his dual covered hair. Even though he was a teenager, she still thought of him as the sweet kid she'd saved from a lifetime of beatings.

Doctor Coffin just about lost his mind. "You need to get back in bed! You're bound to be off balance and-"

Flint stood. She expected pain, excruciating or otherwise, but didn't feel a thing other than the firm ground beneath her feet. Somehow, there was no nausea or any other deficiencies. _Good_. _Now that I'm alive, I'm finishing the damn race._ She had already bloodied her hands with the victim she'd dreaded most. Now the worst was behind her.

She locked herself in the bathroom and got changed. Again, she marveled at the pristine condition of her suit. The fabric had held up well, even after exposed to cremation and explosions. All of her sandstone was gone, but her pockets were fully restored.

Once she was dressed, Flint stepped from the bathroom and headed for the door. She gestured to Shoto, leaving a very befuddled Doctor Coffin in their wake. "You can't just walk out of here!" He shouted. "Securi-"

Flint fixed Coffin with the Todoroki glare. For the first time since awakening, she felt compelled to speak. "If you've got a problem, bring it up with Natsuo," she said, only stopping long enough to clear their exit. As they moved, Shoto was sure to give Flint a full explanation of her remarkable recovery and awakening. By the time he was done, they reached the hospital's exit. She summoned and layered pebbles for them until she had a flat, solid slab of stone.

By the time she was filled in, Flint had a stern, disapproving etched on her face.

 _All For One's son?_

Shoto finished the retelling and, at that moment, Kamui Woods' agency drew into view. The top of the building was occupied by none other than Katsuki and Izuku. "You're awake!" The latter called with both delight and relief.

The stone platform landed and disintegrated into gravel. Even if she was without her limestone, Flint made sure to keep a supply of earth handy. The moment she landed, the curious, green-haired boy fired off a question.

"Flint? I was wondering, is there a member of your family who had a quirk called inferno?"

Flint frowned thoughtfully and considered her ancestors. "There was a great-great uncle that covered himself from head to toe in his own flames. If I remember properly, he made fire tornadoes." She looked at Izuku a bit more seriously. "Don't tell me it's _another_ quirk?"

Bakugo clenched his fists as he felt the familiar surge of jealousy hit him.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head and gave a self-depreciating smile. "Yeah, I did. I'd like some help in mastering it, please."

Flint sighed and folded her arms. "You sound like you're in a rush. None of this can hurry along, kid."

Izuku clenched his fist at his side. "Every day we wait, All For One gets stronger. He has more time to do damage and hurt people. I need to stop him now."

"Just because you have new quirks doesn't mean they won't kill you, Midoriya." Flint warned.


	30. La Brava's Cinema

**La Brava's Cinema**

* * *

La Brava was an incredibly petite girl with eyeliner so thick she practically had raccoon eyes, pigtails on either side of her head, and swooped bangs. After her partner's murder at the hands of agents, she had gone willingly to the League of Villains to exact her revenge. She drug them out of the dark ages and heaps of censorship. With her, they reached not only the surface web, but the deep and dark webs as well. Her snuff films had become the stars on dark channels and fellow villains were keen to offer her pointers.

The once doe-eyed, love-struck girl had evolved into a rather creative director to brutal murders. She selected not only different backdrops, but memorable props and settings for each hero they kidnapped. She not only wanted to make the deaths memorable, but so horrific that they danced through nightmares of as many of her viewers as possible. Her favorite death to date had been when she'd drowned a hero with a gill quirk in a tub filled with jello. When the mood struck her, she made requests of her murderers and victims, making sure to keep them at the best possible angles for every delicious moment of her revenge. She never got sick of the looks not only of surprise, but revulsion, and even fear at her continued smiles and unrelenting drive for perfection.

In addition to the snuff films, she had her hands full coordinating meetings for new recruits, posting missions for vigilante baddies, and maintaining all their social media.

"La Brava," a man said as he descended the stairs. He knew he had entered an artist's workshop. Though she had heard of All For One in chatrooms, she thought he had died of his injuries sustained in All Might's last stand.

"Yes, that's me," she answered, barely looking up from her screen. "Who are you, what's your quirk, who's your victim, and what's their quirk?" After creating nearly hundreds of films in her series, she knew which questions to ask so she could best prepare. She never bothered to even glance at him. On the screen before her was a basic, tasteless decapitation. La Brava added a comment to shame the producer for their unoriginality.

All For One enjoyed her efficiency. "I'd like to change how we market ourselves. We are no longer using the name 'the League of Villains'. We're to be called 'The Villain Alliance' and nothing else. I'd also like you to update our leadership from Tomura Shigaraki to All For One."

She felt color rise to her pale face. Not only was she meeting her new master, a coldly efficient mass murderer, the orchestrater of mass destruction, blackmailing, and leader of the Quirk Dark Ages, but he wanted her to revamp their entire system. Her next question was a bit slower, and far more cautious. "How do I know you are who you say you are?"

All For One nodded once in approval. Without warning, a tendril shot from his back and jabbed into her shoulder. La Brava yelped as she felt her quirk activated. Somehow, even though she didn't love him, she felt the strength of his force intensify. "You're a booster? Excellent." He had the black and red veined cord slip harmlessly away from her and back into his spine. "We'll soon be joined by a hero who can phase through solid matter, so be sure to have cameras everywhere." All For One had to crane his neck to look down at the mite of a child, who seemed eager to take up the challenge. He glanced at her screen and a new tab opened. The keyboard typed, though he didn't touch it, and the Quirk Database opened to Lemillion's information.

La Brava released a soft sigh as her body became hers again. She scrolled along the wall of text and a small grin tilted her lips. As she studied, the man turned towards the door.

As soon as he had completed his task, he moved to the next room, where he found their new and now only warp, Ujiko. They sat in one of the basement's largest halls; their expansive mass telling that few, if any, people had a portion of them in their guts. Shigaraki had given away All For One's warp quirk, as opposed to letting it potentially go to waste. Though All For One had been irked by the loss, he had an entire system to browse to find new and more suitable quirks to take its place.

The warp was definitely an attention whore. Since they had one job, one that made them the center of the Villain Alliance, and they thought they were indispensable, they seemed to take full advantage of their situation. All For One asked, eyed the trays of mostly eaten food with muted amusement. As far as he could tell, Ujiko wanted nothing more than immediate pleasures, which made them simple to please and easily replaced. "Comfortable?" He asked.

Ujiko's mouth moved slowly, not at all matching with his speech. "Very much," it declared. All For One would never take such repulsive quirk for himself again. Not only had Shigraki mutated it to make the user a grotesque figure, but he didn't like his underlings nearly enough to allow them to swallow a portion of him.

"In eight days' time, you will use your warp to bring Izuku Midoriya to this room."

Toga discovered life as an inmate was her ultimate wet dream. Fights broke out with alarming frequency in the unstable ranks. The League of Villains had taken to breaking out higher security criminals who naturally had more intelligence and better quirks. She watched the dregs of society punch and scream in the courtyard. At one point, one scaled denizen dropped to the ground and flopped around like a fish.

Someone else became annoyed by the display and smashed the fish-man's face in. Blood spouted like a faucet from his nose. Toga couldn't help but wiggle in delight. She flitted about, collecting everyone's stories. Though she had failed to trick Mirio, something told her that these lost, desperate souls were exactly the type of followers All For One would want.

The overworked staff had not given her a proper frisk, so her burner phone made it into the prison with her. While she couldn't know for sure, she had a feeling All For One heard every word as the weak villains gossiped and shared their fury.

* * *

Two evenings after Kurogiri's death and All For One's rebirth, the news still had little information on the massacre. "Over sixty first responders are missing. For once, heroes have been urged to stay away by none other than the Prime Minister himself. He says that he doesn't want any more loss and that the entire city is to be on high alert."

The head anchor was different than the fighting duo from before. A new woman with pupilless golden eyes reported alone. "A nation-wide curfew will take effect immediately. From eight in the evening until seven in the morning, anyone found on the streets without a hero license will be taken into custody." The woman managed to keep her tone neutral as she continued.

"This is done not only for the safety of us average, every-day workers, but for our heroes and first responders. They have had to put themselves in danger at hours because we have made ourselves prey to forces greater than anyone could have anticipated."

Other stations berated the decree.

"It erases our rights!" One anchor screamed. "I have just as much right to be out an about as a _decent civilian_ than some jack- _beep_ —that wants to rob me! The villains are still going to come out anyway, so how does this protect us? Now they'll break into our homes!"

Social media feeds were full of negative remarks. All For One skimmed over them with a smirk. While it wasn't enough to topple the government, he found the civil unrest to be the first stepping point in his path to domination.

* * *

 _Yes, I totally based Ujiko off No Face from Spirited Away. I'm going to double post tonight. This is one of my shortest chapters, so next we get the longest chapter to date!_


	31. The Backup Plan

**The Backup Plan**

* * *

Neito Monoma was born two months before Izuku Midoriya. All For One visited Neito once as an infant, put his hand on the boy's forehead, and measured his son's ability. Using his foresight, All For One viewed his son's potential and saw no possible way for his firstborn to bring One For All back into the family. All For One had left Neito and his quirkless mother alone, glad that he had prepared Inko Midoriya; just in case.

Growing up, strange things happened to Monoma. His mother glared at him, as if he were the reason they lived in such a humble apartment deep in a crime-ridden neighborhood. The only way he could receive any affection from her was by earning it with perfect marks at school. Otherwise, she would ignore his existence. The day his quirk manifest, she'd given him a satisfied smirk.

"Maybe you're worth something after all, Neito," she'd told him.

When he was eight, a thug had tried to kidnap him on his way home from elementary school. Before Monoma could so much as call out for help, two well-dressed men had emerged from nowhere and swiftly knocked the thug off his feet. While one shoved a nail studded boot into the thug's bleeding face, the other man helped Monoma find his feet. "Look at the weakling, young one," he had said knowingly. "He drew attention to himself and was caught."

The man crouched down to his knees. Monoma remembered his surprise when he saw many of his features on the fellow's face. "The smartest men operate where no one can see."

Monoma had been confused when he was recommended for the hero course at UA. He'd always imagined himself as a businessman or a politician with his copy-cat quirk. In his hands, it was nothing more than a party trick. He knew he gleaned far more enjoyment earning power through snide words and silly tricks than with his fists.

Shortly before examinations, the invisible girl from class 1-A sought him out. "I know your father," she had said. For a boy who'd been raised by a narcissistic mother, there was no better way to get his attention. "He says he'll meet you if you fail at the end of the semester." She hadn't even stuck around to wait for his response. Glove and all, she walked away as quickly as she came.

The day of their end of term examinations, he remembered how Hagakure had told him to fail, even though he could have easily passed with the rest of his class. He calculated carefully, only barely making his marks dip below the needed line.

As such, when Bakugo was stolen from the summer training camp - Monoma was safely under the eye of Vlad King. He never faced the Vanguard Squad. Of the students, he was one of the few not harmed.

At the start of the first semester after moving into the dorms, he was approached with a most intriguing offer. Flint held him after class.

Neito recalled how she was a Todoroki, thus associated with class 1-A, his sworn enemies. "Did Todoroki come blabbing to you about something?" Neito asked with a casual smirk, amused at the idea of such a powerful peer degrading himself enough to tattle.

Flint answered with a furrowed brow. "I'd never raise a rat," she answered simply. "Are you ready to have a grown up conversation, or would you prefer a few more wrong guesses before I can get to the point?" She sounded amused, as if the boy were reacting just as she'd suspected.

Neito chuckled and waved his hand. "By all means, continue. My apologies." She seemed to have no interest in the prank war between classes 1-A and 1-B, so he wouldn't push the matter.

"Your quirk could benefit from a few extra pointers," she stated bluntly. "The way you fight now, you're entirely dependent not only on your teammates, but on your opponents."

For a moment, Neito was speechless. He instantly wanted to defend himself and his abilities. The natural defensiveness faded as soon as it came. He knew his insecurities were obvious. Here, at last, was a way for him to better himself. "I guess I can see if the lessons are worth my time," he reasoned in the end, as if he were the one doing her a favor.

Flint had chuckled and assigned a practice time.

The following day, Neito arrived at an open training hall on campus. As expected, he saw Flint ready and waiting for him. Beside her were two people that he hadn't expected.

"The best way to use the scarf is to practice," Aizawa explained. "Use it to snag empty water bottles and clean up some garbage. Maybe we'll meet in the trees next and I can show you how to swing around…"

Neito wanted to listen more, but a rock the size of his fist whizzed past his head. He ducked away out of instinct. "Too much movement," Flint declared disapprovingly. "If you keep over dodge, you'll wear yourself out and lose opportunities to get in close."

Aizawa continued to instruct a very distracted Shinso as Flint peppered Neito with projectiles. "Heroes have to be able to focus in battle," Aizawa told his pupil with a stern, red-eyed glare.

Shinso nodded his head. "I'm sorry," he said quickly. Though he was careful to keep his attention on Aizawa and move as he was told, he tensed when Flint began to throw balls of fire at Neito.

"I haven't budged an inch," she goaded him. "You're gonna lose to a little old lady like me?"

"Little?" Neito laughed, his smirk more of a sneer, "you're practically an elephant!"

Flint chuckled and dropped her left hand down to her side. She began to pull up, charging the flames. "You'd better dodge, little imp." Neito felt unnerved by how elated his teacher sounded. Naturally, he jumped backwards, along with Aizawa and Shinso, as a cannonball of fire blasted towards him. Nieto dropped to the ground and rolled. Thankfully he hadn't worn his costume, or else the coattails would surely have caught fire.

"Are you crazy?" He shouted.

In the same moment, Shinso asked, "should we be worried?"

Neito had almost no time on the floor. Flint pulled some of her wetted limestone from her pockets and began to create explosions in the air.

"Monoma's quirk is to copy, so all she has to do to beat him is stay away." Aizawa remarked. "His best chance is to use every resource he has." Eraserhead noted how Flint herded Neito closer and closer to where he and Shinso stood. Aizawa knew Flint was helping Neito, even if she looked like a relentless psychopath.

Shinso watched, unsure how Neito could win.

"Aren't you going to help?" Aizawa had grown accustomed to class 1-A's intrusive personalities.

Shinso balked. "I don't think I'd be of much help," he began, knowing even before he finished that his excuse would be refused.

Neito changed tactics and allowed his mind to view everyone and everything in the room as an opportunity. He wasn't simply supposed to avoid, but he was to win. Careful not to make his moves too obvious, he skidded to the side to avoid a flash of sand, though made sure to intentionally bump into Aizawa's back. "Sorry!" Neito called, careful to keep in one of the more terrifying teacher's good books.

He felt the erasure quirk course through him. At once, fire and earth ceased their attack.

"That took you long enough," Flint chuckled. All around them, the ground was littered with debris. The wooden floor was dented and scorched, but it had other scars from previous training sessions. Neito forced himself not to blink and rushed forward.

"Too easy, kid," Flint smirked. She grabbed a handful of dirt from her feet and tossed it at his face. Neito came within two meters from her before he was forced to evade, yet again. In the moment where he closed his eyes, he felt a small boulder crack into his foot. By some miracle the bone didn't break, but he entirely lost his balance.

Neito dropped to the ground, full of anger at the defeat. "Both of you do better next time. Shinso, when you see a colleague get their ass handed to them remember this rhyme. Commentary and doubt are a coward's way out." Flint finished speaking and went about clearing the room of earth. "We'll meet again next week, so make a strategy."

"It'll be in the forest, next time," Aizawa said before departing.

As promised, seven days from Neito's loss, the young men arrived in the trees with a plan. Shinso had taken the incentive to visit the tech department and get a voice changer. If Flint wouldn't respond to him, then the plan was to trick her into thinking he was someone else. With the cover of leaves and branches around them, their plan had a high chance of success.

Flint stood on the ground in the middle of a clearing. Shinso saw nothing but cockiness with her positioning, but Neito gauged the strategical advantages. Since neither of them had quirks for distance, she could have them come to her and keep them in sight. Neito kept note of how she kept her distance. Shinso and Neito took their spots behind a pair of tree trunks.

"All right, Flint, are you ready?" Aizawa's voice asked.

"Yup, let's get this-"

The plan was simple, and it somehow worked.

Shinso held her immobilized with his quirk. Neito felt particularly triumphant in his approach, even though he had done nothing. Yet. "We decided that beating you with brainwashing would be Shinso's victory." Neito reached out his hand, his mind concentrating on fire. He had yet to try to steal from a dual-quirk weilder, so he was uncertain how the results would pan out.

As he focused, he thought of how humiliated he'd been at their first training. He felt a shock of power channel through his palm and to his body. At first, he was unsure if somehow there was a mistake. "I'm ready," he told Shinso, who nodded and removed the brainwashing from their paralyzed teacher.

"Damn it, Aizawa's not even here," Flint smirked. "Good one, Shinso."

Neito wouldn't give her the peace of mind to have a conversation. He remained conscious of the flora around them. From the earth, he drew sand. Curiosity had a brief flash of fire billow over it to create a crude shard of glass the length of his forearm. He pressed down on the stopwatches on his belt.

Recalling her advice from last time, Neito mentally measured each of his moves before making them. He predicted just how Flint would go from her posture and shifts. He didn't try to attempt how she'd used her quirks. Her foot moved forward in a run, only to be met with a sinkhole. Neito thought he had her, that the fight could be over so soon, but she hardened the earth a fraction of a space behind her, just out of his focal point, and kept herself on solid ground.

Thus their second spar concluded. By the time they were done, Aizawa arrived and gave Shinso pointers on the scarf. As soon as his first pupil was set to work on some exercises, he addressed Neito's need to improve his hand to hand combat. They practiced without quirks, mostly to get Neito used to his body's proportions.

When he was drenched with sweat and exhausted, he was sent back to the dorms.

On their third meeting, Flint had Neito speak with her in her office. "If you want to continue your lessons, I want you to know what you're in for. It'll be like your summer training camp for your first year, then exponentially more difficult month after month."

Neito had too many questions to accept the extracurricular activity blindly. "Why me?" He asked bluntly. "You have other students that need lessons just as much as I do. All of class 1-B would-"

Flint shook her head. "This training isn't for everyone. There's not enough staff as dedicated to a change in curriculum. I just need to know if you want to be able to keep up or not. You're smart and pick up fast, but you're nothing more than a side character. Everything about your ability relies on someone else. I want to help you not only find your own strength, but potentially even advance your quirk."

On that day, Neito had signed up to become an agent.

He and Shinso both began to attend agent training in earnest. On their first day, they saw several familiar and unfamiliar faces. Neito recognized Tokoyami from class 1-A, the boy with the nearly unbeatable Dark Shadow attached, and of course Flint and other students. He looked for Aizawa, only to find Midnight in his place.

"We seem to be missing someone," Neito proclaimed, as if he knew everything on his first day.

Midnight tilted her head and frowned thoughtfully. She glanced about the room. "No, this is it," she said evenly. "Why? Who were you expecting?"

"Where's Eraserhead?" Neito inquired, frustrated that he wouldn't have the pro's quirk to rely on.

Midnight grinned. "Ahh, I see you misread the situation," she purred, as if he had said the most attractive comment.

Flint rolled her eyes at Midnight's incessant sensuality and spoke up. "Aizawa says he'll never be an agent, but he does believe in a more concentrated effort to those with underdog quirks."

Midnight touched her lips, as if dazed and lost in thought. "He says that no matter the circumstance, murder is never acceptable." She grinned and cracked her whip. "But we say no! Sometimes, you have to prepare to meet criminals in a fight to the end. It makes me-"

"Stop," Flint said flatly.

Midnight pouted, but ceased in her description.

As soon as Neito was comfortable in the ranks of the agents, he'd been nothing short of an utter nuisance to get every bit of training he could. Of course, other students and teachers knew that some students were given extra lessons, but they were students that were outcasts or at a disadvantage in some other way.

After their fourth session, Flint kept Monoma and Shinso behind to deliver one of her more blunt speeches. "Neither of you are physically blessed with speed or strength of your own." She started with Shinso, "You need distance. If someone gets close enough to break your jaw, you've lost. Aizawa says to keep at it with the binding scarf. Master it and you'll be a real thorn in someone's side."

Then she looked at Monoma to include him. "The both of you need to learn how to get under someone's skin. In battle, you both need to become obnoxious. Learn how to read someone's micro-expressions and wreck them mentally and emotionally. It's better to face a loud idiot than a quiet psycho."

Though Shinso had worried about being left behind by his classmates, he managed to keep up, all thanks to the extra lessons of the agents. Neito increased with every match, though he was careful not to flaunt himself in his classes. He remembered to keep his head low and stick to the shadows, as to not draw too much attention to himself. He retained his reputation as an insecure buffoon, all the while gathering observations about his fellow students.

He graduated and became Midnight's sidekick.

On the night that the League of Villains lost Kurogiri, Shigaraki, and Dabi, Midnight watched Shinso's tracker carefully. She and Monoma had waited carefully to see if they would be needed for backup. Monoma checked his phone repeatedly, hoping for some text or signal that the agents would allow them to act. "They must be done," Midnight noted as Shinso's suit tracked his location to the agents' building. "I guess we can head home." Though most hero and sidekick duos shared their quarters, Midnight was a teacher at UA. Monoma began to leave as well.

Out of nowhere, he heard a familiar voice.

 _Neito._ His name rang through his mind. _If you're ready to meet, I have a task for you._

Shinso had given Monoma a spare key to his apartment not only because of their friendship, but because of their proximity. The duo decided not to live together, but to live in apartments across the hall from one another. Monoma nudged Midnight's side and grinned. "We were worried for nothing," he teased. The hero had smirked at her sidekick and dismissed herself to get back to grading papers.

Monoma knew that so long as he could focus on a quirk, he could hold it for two days. As soon as he went to sleep, he lost everything but his own ability. The quirk had to be held by a constant string of thought. He followed the directions that the voice gave, all while remembering the man who stopped the thug back in his youth.

 _Absorb Midnight's quirk_ , he'd been told, _and go back to your home._

 _I wish to speak with Shinso, as well. If you bring him to me asleep, we can talk first._

Though just about every alarm was dinging in his head, Monoma's moral compass had greyed considerably in his agent training. He listened to the command and considered for a moment, but knew he'd obey. Monoma used his spare key to get into Shinso's home. Since he was tall and slender, he had no problem hiding under Shinso's bed. He waited until his friend had laid down and gone to sleep before he deployed Midnight's quirk, setting Shinso into an even deeper sleep.

Monoma received further instructions in his head. The agents had given him a car, so Monoma didn't need to explain hauling around an unconscious body. If anyone even looked in his direction, he made Midnight's sleeping gas gently waft off them. Nosy humans were easily blocked with the urge to rub their eyes and yawn. He considered just how terribly Midnight used her quirk, if all she did was immediately put people to sleep. She could have had so much more fun with them if she kept them suspended in various states of restfulness, as opposed to fully blacked out.

Monoma followed the voice in his head to a quirk gym. For once, no contestants were present. Monoma carried Shinso through the proper doors until they reached a back room with a desk, set of couches, and a single wooden chair. A man stood by one of the couches, his figure undoubtedly matching that of All Might's killer. Monoma felt an excited chill slither down his spine.

He saw the rope beside the chair and knew what he was supposed to do. Monoma felt confident that even if worst came to worst, he could steal one of All For One's many quirks and they could make a safe escape. After all, he still had Midnight's quirk. Once Shinso was secured and Monoma straightened, he looked at the man who claimed to be his dad.

The duo stared at each other with precisely the same expression. Both sought to find weaknesses or sore spots in both demeanor and mentality. "How do you like working for me?" All For One asked with a slight smirk on his face.

Monoma grinned in response. "You haven't paid me, so I don't think I do."

All For One's smile broadened. "As I told you before, Neito – the smartest men operate where no one can see."

The quote from his past was jarring, but not entirely unexpected. The two of them shared not only a similar look, but Monomoa's quirk echoed All For One's far too much for him to write the matter off as a coincidence. Since All Might's death, Monoma had readied himself for the possibility. "How about a hug, Dad?" He suggested brightly, his eyes narrowed in amusement.

All For One chuckled, but kept apart. "You're quite the daring brat," he stated, sounding quite pleased with their conversation. "If I don't return to a certain place at a certain time, I've left instructions that every agent's record is to be posted over social media. Each quietly slit through, every bludgeoned body, and even those who died of injuries from their own quirks." The last was a clear allusion to Monoma's work. He had taken a sick pleasure in killing people with their own abilities. More often than not, he could accomplish greater feats with their borrowed talents than the originals could manage in a lifetime of practice.

Monoma knew it would ruin the public's view of heroes, since several agents were high profile figures. Monoma felt his concentration slip and Midnight's quirk leave him. He stepped forward and decided to bite the bullet. Though he'd have to betray his closest friend, he knew how close society was to collapse. If only to gain intelligence, he'd play the bad guy. His hand shook Shinso's shoulder. "Hitoshi?"

"Neito?" Shinso was too tired to have a tone. His eyes remained closed and head shifted left and right, as if searching for the source of the voice. When Shinso did see Monoma, he was confused. Monoma activated the brainwash quirk at once. As enhanced as he made it, Monoma didn't even need to speak for it to take effect. "I'm sorry, my friend."

Monoma moved his hand. He had no way of knowing whether he was speaking his last words to what would soon be a corpse, or if Shinso could be spared and given a new quirk. "We've been good to each other, haven't we? You've watched my back, I've watched yours." Monoma's eyes flickered for a moment as he recalled their tactic sessions, every night studying, each small bit of mischief they pulled in order to become as obnoxious as they'd been asked. When his memories ended, he found himself staring into his father's triumphant gaze. "But I need one last thing from you." Monoma gave a slight nod and stepped back.

"Ah, he's here." For now, All For One would play the part of a fool, as he hadn't decided whether Shinso could be manipulated into a pawn, or would be better off eliminated. "You've proved your worth, Phantom Thief." His giant palm descended upon Shinso's head. All For One drew the brainwashing quirk swiftly from the boy. At once, Monoma lost his copycat quirk.

Shinso grimaced and jerked at his bonds. Unfortunately, they were strong and quite efficient. Flint had insisted that every student, no matter their quirk, know how to survive in the wilderness. Knots, star navigation, and fire starting had seemed useless at first, but most students had been able to apply their findings in unique ways – like tying their best friends to chairs. Shinso wasn't sure whether he was supposed to beg or fight, so he settled for silence.

His mind flashed back to the wreckage that had been All Might. He recalled the hero's emaciated form minutes before he was dismantled. Shinso shuddered, despite himself. He knew that One For All was behind him and that any possibility could come to pass with the palm pressed to his scalp. Scissors could drive themselves into his brain. His neck could be snapped. His eyes could suddenly fall out. Those were the things that were favorable. Far, _far_ worse things were imagined by the terrified agent. He couldn't even tremble, as he was far more frozen with terror than he'd been under his own brainwashing.

"If you'd like your flashy quirk, Brainteaser, I have a simple favor to ask in turn."

Shinso had long since accepted his quirk and wouldn't sell his soul to get a new one. He kept silent mostly from fear, but partially in the hopes that his death would be swift.

A blast rocketed down through his skull and to his body. Shinso's instantaneous death oozed a slushy of human entrails that dripped off the chair and out of Monoma's carefully tied bonds. All For One used wind to clean his bloodied palm and strode from the room. "Don't waste your time with people who hesitate," he stated, offering his child some fatherly advice.

Monoma stared at his friend's remains, the smirk stunned off his face.

* * *

 _I ate six pickles while writing this, as to get in better touch with the ever salty Monoma. He's not nearly as obnoxious as normal because he's in the presence of All For One, the scariest dude around._

 _I hope y'all enjoy the many plot twists. I had fun leading readers down the avenue to suspect Aizawa was an agent. The fact of the matter is, he has far too many morals to be on their payroll. He cares about the students and wants to help them stay out of an early grave. Since they're going for the kill, he'll equip them the best that he can to handle the situations they'll inevitably face._

 _Happy Valentine's Day! A special thanks to Fencer for catching my mistake!_


	32. A New King

**A New King**

* * *

Muscular had taken full control of the League of Villains. On the first eve of his unofficial crowning, Muscular announced a tournament for the dozens of escaped thugs. "Someone's got to do the shit jobs. First five down are our maids. Second set of five down are the cooks. Everyone but the top ten champs are lackeys." He proclaimed with unabashed malice. He watched the bloodbath with unrestrained pleasure. Blood lingered amongst severed arms, legs cracked when he trampled the field. Of the last five to survive, he snapped one's neck, just for the hell of it. "You," Muscular said, pointing to a subject at random, "are a maid now."

In the chaos of his reign, dozens of their orphans had been traded off as slaves to his most loyal and powerful followers. Of his companions, his prison buddies were among the most powerful. They ran more like a pack of feral animals than a set of organized members. "Tomorrow, we're going to get us some fucking girls," he ordered to the room as a whole, uncaring that many of them were injured.

Once he'd settled the hierarchy, Muscular stomped up to Shigaraki's room, ready to kill the insect of a man once and for all. He threw open the door, ready to create more gore. He couldn't help but feel disappointed when all he was met with was a perfectly clean picked skeleton dressed in a button up shirt, pair of slacks, and vest. He smashed Kurogiri's white skull and walked into the mess of a room. His muscle quirk activated, preparing a power-up that would allow him to incapacitate his prey in one blow.

"Where'd you go, you weasel?" Muscular called. His hand grasped the king-sized bed frame and threw it effortlessly against the wall. For the hell of it, he slammed his fists repeatedly over the walls. Every last bit of furniture was destroyed. Debris littered the dented and cracked floor. Muscular looked over his work and smirked. All that was missing was the delightful tang of blood in the air.

One particularly ballsy boy had taken it upon himself to deliver Muscular a message. He stood outside the door and listened to the cracks and clatters that echoed from within. His spiky black hair and large, hateful eyes glared at the blonde giant. Red sneakers covered his feet.

Kota had gleaned that heroes didn't get revenge, but that hadn't stopped his urge for justice. The Wild, Wild Pussycats had been attacked not by villains, but by average citizens enraged that Tiger hadn't aided All Might in his last stand. Mandalay had filled Kota's head with a demand to run, so he had. Along and terrified, he had thought to look for Izuku. Pride kept him on the streets, along with other orphans created by the influx of heroes.

The pros were too busy to care for a pack of forgotten strays, but the villains weren't. They stole the children from alleys and dumpsters and gave them food. They gained two children for every adult, with ages ranging from six to sixteen. On their sixteenth birthday, the kids were given a choice. They could die, or they could swell the ranks. The League of Villains made every youngster attend the Naming Day, where a sixteen year old chose their code name and swore to serve the League.

In his year of servitude, Kota's attitude had only gotten worse. It was only by some miracle that he wasn't killed. He had eight more years until his own Name Day. The boy thought he was tough before, but some of the more hardened criminals had punched his face only days ago.

He viewed Muscular through a squinted eye, but was undaunted. Fate must had led him to the man who killed his parents.

The new monarch glanced over his shoulder at the brat. "What do you want?"

Kota didn't have to think too hard for his response. He had to make himself useful so he could stay close to the man's side. Eventually, there would be an opening. Eventually, he could avenge his parents' murder. "What do you want me to grab from the kitchen?"

* * *

Neito Monoma knew that to attempt an escape would be pure idiocy. He searched his mind as he sat with All For One, considering every possibility as to why he was summoned. He doubted a hundred year old criminal mastermind wanted to chat with his spawn about the good old days.

Though he wanted to ask anything to break the silence between them, he continued to scroll through his tablet.

He browsed the League's page, even as it changed before his eyes. He hit refresh and watched the text change. The title became **The Villain Alliance**. Their mission statement edited from 'to create chaos' to 'reorganizing quirks, distributions, and civilization with the average citizen in mind'. Monoma found the change to be a far more elegant option. While he didn't feel he was a hostage, he caught that escape may not be in his best interest. Some sick sense of curiosity kept him near the man who called himself father.

Ever since the call of the curfew, All For One had steadily typed on his keyboard, as if he were organizing something. Hours after he began, a knock thumped on the door. They were still in a quirk gym, but in one of the underground hideouts, far from where anyone could go without a code.

"Come in." All For One spoke without looking up.

Monoma watched as none other than the Prime Minister himself stepped into the room. Monoma grinned and tilted his head, all the while exuding an air of cockiness to hide his muted surprise.

The minister drew himself taller and frowned at Monoma. "I wasn't aware that we would have company," he said as politely as he could manage. The man was obviously ruffled at having to sneak down into such a cool and dreary place.

"Don't mind me, Prime Minister," Monoma said easily. Though he'd spent over a day with All For One, he knew next to nothing about the man. They'd only had one conversation. From there, they'd devolved into lengthy spells filled with typing. In any true quiet, Monoma couldn't help but feel the seemingly infinite playback of Shinso's head cracking open. Sometimes, he even heard the trickle and slither of shredded organs plopping to the ground. The young man forced himself to be present, despite his wariness. "If Father wishes it, I can make myself scarce." He wondered how All For One would react to Monoma openly revealing his heritage.

All For One didn't seem to mind. "You will stay here," he ordered Monoma. "You saw the idiotic way to run a swarm of renegades, now watch how you build an empire."

 _An empire that was crushed by one man_ , Monoma thought to himself, though he knew better than to voice his contradiction.

The Prime Minister had a frown on his face, but didn't dare refuse. "The curfew is instated, as you asked."

All For One looked to Monoma. "Now, Neito. Tell me exactly why this curfew is so important to our cause."

He felt as if the answer was too easy. Many things came far too simply to him, but he found he was right more often than not. "It'll certainly piss some people off. They just lost all of their time to go attend to their vices; strip clubs, drinking, even hanging out with their friends. Now they have to sit in their homes like obedient dogs with no end while no real solution is found. Average people weren't really in danger anyway – the League was mostly about targeting heroes, and everyone knew it."

All For One grinned. He had encouraged Shigaraki to think for years. If only his foresight was more precise, he may have known all along that Monoma would become a more worthy successor for his quirks. "Why is the Prime Minister here, telling me in person?"

Again, Monoma didn't even have to pause. "You probably took something from him. Like a good dog, he's come back with his tail between his legs, ready for his treat."

The Minister's face reddened. As much as he loathed being spoken over, he knew it was in his best interest to keep cool.

"Do you think he's earned a reward?" All For One inquired, wondering what Monoma would do if given the opportunity to take charge.

"I suppose he has," Monoma declared, showing that he was a far better negotiator than Shigaraki, who had been nothing more than a rabid dog.

All For One stood and moved from behind his desk to place his hand on the minister's head. Monoma mentally braced himself for a gruesome explosion. Thankfully, the Prime Minister was left alive and unchanged. "See to it that the agents are put in charge of enforcing curfew. Tell Yayorozu that he needs to double his numbers by the end of the month or he'll lose all his funding."

Monoma lazily opened a new webpage. He accessed the agents' database with his username and password. When he looked up the name 'Yayorozu', he found one listing; Momo, one of his many class A rivals. _She never attended training_ , he noted. The blonde tapped onto her information and saw that she had only recently been instated for tech support. _What a waste. She would be better used with the suits._

Since Momo was undeniably female and All For One had said 'he', Monoma looked up the name once more on the quirk database, then the news.

In the news articles, a bystander had snapped a photo of Flint standing on a rock and Momo's mother safely inside the gates of her grand estate. 'Yayorozu mother returned home safely'. The title was lazy, but nearly tempting enough to click. Monoma shifted his finger and pulled up the next image. The moment he saw Ken Yayorozu, he recognized the fellow as one of the men on the floor for the suits, as the field agents called their paper pushers.

When he looked up, the Prime Minister was gone. _So he has the government in his pocket, which controls the agents._ He met his father's eyes, as All For One had him fixed in his gaze. _He has not only the agents, but every villain and now desperate civilian under his control._

"Aren't you going to ask me anything?" All For One declared with a smirk.

Monoma chuckled. "I'm waiting for any questions I can't answer myself. I wouldn't want to waste your valuable time."

Again, All For One was impressed by the answer. "The only thing I can appreciate about Shigaraki's swift reign was his integration of technology to the Villain Alliance." All For One powered off his monitor and began to walk out of the room.

Monoma glanced at his phone. Generally, a friend from class B had texted him, or an alert came through to him. In all of his time with All For One, he had yet to receive a single notification.

"You're currently under a quirk called 'taboo'," All For One explained when he saw Monoma's furrowed brow. "For the rest of the week, you'll stay by me, escaping all of your friends' and colleagues' minds. I can tell you don't think I'm a good person, but I'll use this time to show you the rightness of my ways."

Monoma silently bit the inside of his lip to keep from jabbing with a witty remark. "And what happens once the week is through?"

All For One made for the hall outside. "As with every lesson, it will be completed with an examination."

* * *

 _Thanks Fencer for pointing out the error in my last chapter. No, I am not sick of your sass in the slightest. I chuckle and appreciate every comment._

 _To everyone else, thanks for sticking with the story. I feel like I've got another ten chapters and then it'll all be wrapped up. I'm going to go for a sprint-finish style, because for some reason, those are my favorites. If you're against a sprint finish and you want more, by all means, let me know and I'll try to slow things down, but I've got a good set-up for our next chapters. I'll be doing three parallel chapters that take place in seven day stretches. One from the heroes' point of view, the villains', and the agents! If y'all want more Aizawa, also let me know. He's not written in as of now, but I could work him in._

 _Aizawa intimidates me because he's so freaking badass. I wouldn't want to write him poorly, so that is mostly why he's absent from the story, despite it being a good match for him._


	33. Seven Heroic Days

**Seven Heroic Days**

* * *

Izuku did a mental checklist of his quirks. _In One For All, I have the black whip, which is fairly straight forward. I have weather control, which is incredibly intricate. A shift in my posturing can mean all the difference between a blizzard or a freezing rain. I have a renewal or degeneration quirk from Nana. I can dream walk, but have almost no control over that. Maybe we should leave that ability alone._ He shuddered in the midst of his recollections when he remembered his teacher's personal hell. It was a reminder for him that everyone had a set of demons to face. So far, neither he nor Flint had brought up the subject. _Then there's the inferno, which I have three perfectly capable teachers on hand to help me with._

In an attempt to recreate normalcy, Izuku and Katsuki moved out of Kamui's living quarters. Mirio and Izuku headed back to their apartment in a long silence, as both were caught in thoughts. Izuku thought of how to control One For All, as Mirio kept a wary eye on his surroundings. They both wore civilian gear, but nearly anyone could recognize the both of them, thanks to their aversions to masks or wearing their respective headgear.

By the time they reached home, Izuku had begun to mutter. "I need to get my body to fully accept the quirk. I'm nearly there." He gripped his fist tightly, frustrated at the broken vision with All Might. "Maybe if I dream walk to myself, I could visit the vestige in my head." He trailed off and absently went to his room, leaving Mirio behind him. From experience, the elder hero knew that he'd have better luck talking to a wall than getting a straight conversation with Izuku. Whatever concerns he had would wait.

Izuku shut the door behind him and flopped onto his bed. He tossed and turned for hours. Just when he forgot to concentrate on dipping into slumber, the young sidekick found himself in a misty place full not of surroundings, but nothingness. _Did I do it?_ Over the years of his visits from the vestiges, he had learned their environment well.

By some miracle, he managed to keep his mouth. _"I did it!_ " He proclaimed in the dream world, unreasonably proud of his achievement. Before him stood the eight previous holders of One For All. By some luck, All For One was out of the picture. _At last, I'll have a chance to talk back!_

He looked at the first holder of the stockpiling quirk, All For One's younger, sickly brother.

Then to the white haired man with the scar on his face, who had dream walking in his lifetime. From him, all of the users of One For All could communicate.

Then there had been a man with a ponytail who could manipulate weather.

Black whip came from the bald man with goggles.

Then there was the Todoroki, the one who had added his inferno, or fire funnels.

After him was a man with black hair and a high collar like Best Jeanist's. From him there was the quirk of empathy.

Nana was the sole woman with her regeneration and disintegration abilities.

Closest to Izuku in the crowd was All Might, the quirkless man who had taken the stockpiled power and become the Symbol of Peace.

Izuku knew little of any of them; not what they'd accomplished in their lives or even many of their identities. "Young Midoriya," All Might said with a smile. As a vestige, he was a beanpole with limp hair, but Izuku didn't mind in the slightest. With his eyes full of tears, he rushed forward to embrace his mentor. All Might accepted him with open arms and squeezed his pupil tightly.

While trapped in the hug, Izuku felt his mind swarm with their teachings.

 _Use my quirk not only to witness peoples' dreams, but to change them. You can convince criminals never to commit their horrific acts._

 _The inferno can protect as easily as it can kill._

 _If you master my empathy, you can not only feel emotions, but help to change them._

 _You could very well end the world with your control of the weather and stockpiled strength._

 _There's much inside you, Young Midoriya. If you don't wield each quirk respectfully, they'll become nothing more than a guillotine,_ the dream walker declared sternly, his mouth unmoving and intense gaze locked One For All's ninth user. Izuku nodded to each of them to show his understanding. There was so much he wanted to ask, but all was driven from his mind when All Might put his hands on Izuku's shoulders. The teen looked up at All Might and waited.

During Izuku and All Might's last meeting they had been cut off, but today they'd finish. "You have to be the last holder of One For All, his predecessor warned out of the blue. "It's grown for over a hundred years. Even though the last two of us were quirkless, we added our wills and strength to it."

For the first time, All For One's little brother spoke. "He _had_ a quirk."

Izuku looked at his supposed uncle, greatly uncomfortable. "You knew your brother your whole life," Izuku said, fighting the urge to mutter. "Do you think he'd have a son?"

The younger brother's haunted gaze was broken by a sad smile. "He had many children even in my lifetime. Those that didn't please him were replaced with those who did."

Izuku swallowed at the revelation. After his chat with All For One, he had certainly felt daunted, but strangely as if he were protected by sharing All For One's blood. He wasn't given long to dwell on the unpleasant fact.

Ponytail spoke up. "We'll be working with my quirk, starting now," he said matter of factly. "It's only logical that you learn how to make rain before you play with fire."

The man with a scar face nodded. "Now that you can visit us of your own will, we can teach you every facet of our quirks. For tonight, focus on weather control. Depending on how you do, tomorrow may be a different lesson."

* * *

After his time with the vestiges, Izuku awakened to the sound of an alarm. The nearly deafening screech of noise blasted twice through the air. Earlier on the news, they had said that there would be a notification for the first ever curfew half an hour before it took place, with the true signal to come at the true beginning of the shut-in. He glanced around at his mist filled bedroom, noting with relief that there was no torrential downpour in the waking world, as he'd practiced such in his sleep.

Izuku got dressed and left the room. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, barely even flinching at Mirio's voice suddenly booming in his ear.

"Here you go!" Mirio said as he gestured to a package on the table. "I had the company send over an extra suit, since you got mugged by a girl." Mirio flopped on the sofa and grinned as the local news flashed on the silent television. Though Izuku had yet to gear up, Mirio was in his full get-up and ready to go.

Izuku rubbed his eyes. Thanks to his practice, he felt more mentally exhausted than he ever had in his life. "I didn't get beat up by a girl," he muttered. Izuku pulled out a pan and cracked himself a few eggs. Though he was used to more elaborate meals, neither of the roommates were good chefs. All their lives, their mothers had done the cooking. Both he and Mirio needed to see their food prepared before them for peace of mind, so they often ate at street food carts.

As he scrambled his eggs, Izuku collected the empty shells and discarded them. By the time he finished scarfing down his dinner and had stuffed himself into his costume, a fresh siren blasted over freshly installed intercoms.

The first curfew had begun.

Lemillion and Deku took to the streets.

* * *

Aizawa stood on the roof of a tall building, a feeling of dread simmering in his gut. He knew there was no way the public would accept a curfew. He heard the warning alarm mix with discontent shrieks from the public. Civilians should have returned to their homes, but Aizawa saw them file out of their homes with posters.

They stood with glowering faces and sharp frowns. Aizawa saw the citizens line themselves against the main streets in one of the most organized protests he'd ever witnessed. _The last time the country was so unified was when All Might died._ Back then, they had felt terror at their Symbol of Peace's demise. Tonight, the non-heroic people stood for their freedoms.

 _Agents will come, but what will they do?_ Technically, Eraserhead wasn't on duty. He wasn't obliged to do anything more than stand and watch.

The second alarm cut through the air.

A former vigilante who called himself Scissorhands was the first to arrive.

"Get back inside!" Scissorhands demanded. Aizawa couldn't hear perfectly, but he knew enough about human nature to guess events before they happened. When the crowd wouldn't disperse, Scissorhands lifted his bladed fingers in warning.

He hadn't had the training on how to be a hero. Scissorhands was cold and bloodthirsty. If the agents hadn't recruited him, he would have been a villain.

A middle-aged man used a flashlight quirk to shine into Scissorhands' face.

* * *

Deku and Lemillion heard the commotion. They had hoped that the curfew would work, if only to prevent dangerous situations. Deku concentrated on the masses. "There's hundreds of people," he stated in muted disbelief. A part of him was horrified that so many people openly opposed the government. The part of him who had been a quirkless preteen understood perfectly. To be ostracized because you weren't a hero was one of the worst feelings in the world.

Deku felt a spike of hostility followed by horror and fury. "Someone's in trouble!" He warned Lemillion.

Both of them turned and moved at full speed. Though he hadn't had time to practice, Deku allowed himself to use One For All at a hundred percent.

It took only two seconds to reach Scissorhands. He roundhouse kicked the agent on the side of the head, having read the situation well enough to know who was the culprit. Scissorhands' murderous intent intensified and anger fueled his motions. He turned to slash at Deku, who dodged nimbly to the side, grabbed the agent's forearm, twisted, and shoved the man to the ground.

"Deku!" A few girls cried eagerly. Ever since he had bulked up in strength and made a name for himself, he had more than a few fans. He found the attention only mildly distracting, so was able to keep himself from blushing.

"Is anyone hurt?" He asked, keeping his grip firm on Scissorhands.

Thanks to Deku's speed, nobody was.

Lemillion rushed through a wall and grinned appreciatively at his sidekick.

Scissorhands turned his head and glowered. "Everyone here is breaking the law! Isn't it your job to enforce the law, _heroes_?"

"That doesn't mean you get to go around hurting anyone," Deku said evenly, doing the best to hide his mounting frustration. _Since we showed up, we do have to try to get everyone back inside. Even if we don't agree with the law, we're still supposed to uphold it._

Phones were pointed at him. The watching masses had clearly captured his efficient takedown, as well as whatever had happened before.

Lemillion kept a cool head as he tried to navigate the impossible situation. "If everyone is safe, we have to ask that you return to your homes," he said in a nonchalant tone. Anyone that heard him could tell in an instant that he wouldn't push the matter.

"No, we're not going home," the middle-aged man from before spat. Though Lemillion and Deku had helped him, he felt no obligation to be polite.

Lemillion grinned and nodded understandingly. "I understand where you're coming from, but you're all breaking the law. We don't like the situation any more than you do." He felt the cameras point to him.

With his empathy, Deku felt a familiar presence from one of the nearby rooftops. The calm sense of observation was one Aizawa wore often. After years with his teacher, Deku knew to identify it in an instant. The moment the two made eye contact, Aizawa shifted his head suddenly. A brief flare of urgency snapped his attention. Deku walked over to Lemillion and muttered too quietly for the masses to hear.

"Aizawa wants us to get out of here."

Lemillion grinned and walked to Scissorhands, who he elbowed on the head. As soon as the man was unconscious, he waved. "We'll continue our patrol. By the time we get back, we hope everyone will have returned to their homes."

"Fat chance!"

"Flaunt your freedom all you want, hero! We're not going to be caged like animals!"

Deku slung Scissorhands over his shoulder hopped to the top of the building. Once he'd crested the structure, he set Scissorhands down and lowered a rope for Lemillion. As soon as the two of them were present, Aizawa began to lecture his former pupils.

"Congratulations, you two. It took one night for you to undermine the prime minister." His flat tone certainly wasn't congratulatory. He used his foot to turn the unconscious fellow's head.

Lemillion frowned and started speaking at once. "Were we supposed to let that guy start hurting everyone? Was he some sort of underground hero or something?"

"His name is Scissorhands and he is most certainly _not_ a hero."

Lemillion felt satisfied that they had done the right thing. "Then he was a villain!" The hero proclaimed.

Aizawa shook his head. "He's not classified as a villain either. He's what's called an agent."

Lemillion tilted his head. "You're making this up," he said with a laugh, ready for the punchline.

"I'm afraid not," Aizawa grunted. He moved his shoe back. "There are three types of government sponsored heroes. The typical pros, like you two, the underground sort, like me." He glowered down at Scissorhands. "Then there are guys like this. Check him if you want, you'll find a license. Technically, Midoriya, you aided a villain in their crime and obstructed this _hero_ from dispensing his justice." Aizawa stared hard at his former students. "We can still find a way to salvage the situation, but you two need to get home and stay out of the public eye. I'm placing you both under house arrest."

* * *

On the second day, Deku was called to a conference, where Scissorhands apologized and took all of the blame for the situation. Izuku called Aizawa and told him everything, who passed the news along to Detective Tsukauchi.

The government changed tactics at once. By the second night, they settled for having normal officers patrol the streets and slap tickets with outrageous fines on any who dared to step out of their doors; but the damage had been done. After all, they needed the public to idolize heroes. The system couldn't survive without citizens' dedication. Toys, trading cards, shows, video games, modeling agencies – every aspect of their lives depended on an adoration and idolization of heroes.

Yet all around, people clamored for an end to hero society.

When a woman was given her first ticket, she ripped it and went about her way.

A man went to a quirk gym out of spite and entered a level four match.

Average people became infinitely more brazen. The heroes were told never to resort to violence unless they were hit first, and to only use the minimal effort necessary.

* * *

On the third morning, Mirio and Izuku's house arrest hadn't been lifted, so both were home when a knock sounded on their door. Izuku had tracked the visitor from the stairwell in both an act of boredom and a way to practice his empathy. He quickly snagged a few bags of junk food and stuffed them into the trash can just in time for a knock to sound on the door.

"Someone we know?" Mirio asked, surprised by his roommate's cleaning. "Is it another girl that wants to beat you up?"

Izuku reddened and headed over to tug on the handle. "Hi, Detective Tsukauchi," he greeted easily enough, despite the pink flush over his cheeks.

"What's Mirio giving you trouble about this time?" Tsukauchi asked with a chuckle, even as Izuku stepped aside and let the detective in.

"Oh, you know," Izuku began. "Everything."

Mirio chuckled shamelessly. "What brings you buy, Tsukauchi?"

"Officially, I'm here to make sure you're both still abiding by house arrest. You both have troublesome quirks for the ankle bracelet system, so a more personal touch is needed." To prove the point, Mirio slid his leg out, then quickly back in before the anklet could drop to the floor. "Exactly," Tsukauchi said with a smile. "I'm also here because Principal Nezu, Aizawa, and several other heroes are planning an attack. Word's spread that All For One is back and we want to strike quickly, before he can amass too much power. We want you both to get a hold of as many heroes that you trust with your lives and see if they'll join our one-time, super-collaborated Hero Army. We're going to storm the Villain Tower, where Sir Nighteye says the League, or the Villain Alliance, will be in exactly seven days. Be warned, Sir Nighteye wasn't able to get a reading on exact numbers, the quirks of our enemies, or anything else. It's almost as if All For One or some other villain is interfering with his quirk."

Neither was daunted by the potential danger, and both readily agreed.

Come the fourth day, the media looked into Scissorhands' backstory. They couldn't find any records of him attending a hero high school. "The government is so desperate for heroes to fight the villains that they gave a license to someone woefully unprepared and undeserving of the hero title."

"There are no records of any agency representing him. It was a fake license that he made himself or must have bought from some black market dealer."

The news tossed around theories, but no two stations could agree on why the man had the clearance to act so viciously in the name of justice.

Detective Tsukauchi and the police resumed their requests for their largest team-up in history.

The fifth and six day passed just the same. In their time at home, both young men learned of the various changes of the League of Villains. Izuku felt his stomach clench every time he heard of the adaptations to the Villain Alliance. Little by little, he could tell that All For One was trying to make his gang sound more appealing to regain membership. Izuku gathered intelligence by day and trained in his dreams.

 _Only one more night to go_ , he told himself.

* * *

On the seventh day, when the heroes were prepared to storm the Villains' tower, Mirio awakened and made himself breakfast. He finished and knocked on Izuku's door. There was no answer, so he knocked again. Mirio peeked inside his friend's room. "Are you on a naughty phone call?"

He saw Izuku in his bed, frozen in a solid slumber with rain pouring down from the ceiling.

"Talk about a wet dream," Mirio muttered with a grin. His humor was short lived, for only an instant later, a thick black sludge poured from Izuku's mouth and covered his body. Mirio recognized Ujiko, the warp commonly used by the League of Villains. "Oh no, Deku!" Mirio didn't have to think. He grabbed onto his friend's foot, only to feel it slip away into the ooze of darkness.

"Izuku!" Mirio shouted, trying and failing to awaken his sidekick as he was stolen away.

* * *

 _Holy hell, I did not realize how much I would have to check and double and triple check myself for writing week-long chapters. Everything stems from the Hero's seven days, which makes it the shortest chapter. The Agent and Villain chapters are much longer and will have more details. This took so long because, again, I just kept thinking, and rethinking about every possibility. I had to make sure that this chapter in particular had **everything** I needed to carry forward. Now it does, so I can build from it splendidly! _

_Aizawa was added as per Fencer's request._


	34. Seven Gray Days

**Seven Gray Days**

* * *

Momo Yaoyorozu had no chance to escape. Her phone had been taken immediately from her. The office gold-digger had seemed as if she would have been so dedicated to her task, but she had other business to attend to. Momo learned her babysitter's name was Maria, and that Maria was the sort of woman who relied on her looks.

While she wasn't allowed to escape, Momo found gaps under Maria's lenient care. Momo created a fly-sized device to produce a hologram over her computer. Next, she created glasses which would allow her to see through the hologram to her true screen. Maria remained none the wiser while Momo dipped through the Agents' records.

At night, she took the device with her and created clothes better suited for her experience. She was allowed to go home with her father, who was silent in the car ride home.

"We can get through this, Dad-" she began, thinking to console him.

Ken shook his head subtly and kept staring forward. His eyes flicked around their vicinity. Once he had implied they were being watched, he recomposed himself into a more stoic mask of indifference.

 _So they're listening, are they?_ As she looked for cameras, Momo felt unnerved, as if her every move was under intense scrutiny. _I was going to make myself a new phone once I got home, but I can't be sure that we're not bugged in every corner. Have I been watched? All my life?_ The thought sent a shudder down her spine. _Flint will come to the office sooner or later. I'm her sidekick, after all._

By the end of her third day of supervision, Momo was presented with a contract. Should she attempt to contact anyone outside of 'the suits', she would be subject to termination, incarceration, and charged for the crimes of those under her charge. Momo knew that she wouldn't be needed to plan any missions or aid the agents, but she was still a suit in training.

* * *

"You killed _how many_?" Flint repeated, her eyes wide. She wasn't sure whether or not she believed him. If he was telling the truth, the agents had just enrolled a monster.

"I can't remember, Hag! It was probably in the double digits."

Thanks to the prison breaks, the League of Villains had grown far larger than in their first days. They'd been reported to have nearly sixty members. Flint and Katsuki had to view each and every face of the members of the League. She told him of their quirks, but didn't bother telling Katsuki their names, all the while knowing her sidekick would be a pain when it came to his files.

By the end, his count reached fifteen targets. "So you can't remember killing _a quarter_ of the League of Villains on the very first night? Overkill is definitely the name for you."

Katuski hadn't felt nearly as cowed as he should have. He was glad that, after all these years, he could finally let loose and go for the kill. "Putting those idiots in prison obviously didn't work," he grunted, as if that might excuse his spree. "They sit there for a few days, maybe years if we're lucky, then they get out and do the same shit they were doing before."

"I agree, kid, or else I wouldn't be here." She gestured to the computer room, which was specifically designed for agents to plug in their numbers and observations. Flint double checked the information. _Overkill. Sidekick to Flint. Basic clearance._

Katsuki noticed the last note and glared. "Basic? What the fuck can you see with your clearance?"

"Talk more respectfully to your senior, King Explosion Murder." She logged onto her file. "The suits can see where all of us are, our kill count, monitor our heartrates, and every piece of information on us. Eye color, debuts, grades, basically your whole life story. To keep morale up, we don't let fellow agents see the more intrusive bits." Flint glanced over a surprisingly short list of suggested missions.

At once, Flint released a surprised laugh. Katsuki leaned forward and read. "Enforcing curfew, seriously? Who would sign up for that?" He asked with a sneer.

Flint gestured to the screen. "Us, apparently. There's no other job suggestions."

Katsuki frowned and stepped back. "That's lame. The police should take care of this shit."

"Ah well. Not every day can be murderfest. They probably assigned agents to keep pro heroes from sullying their good names. Before we commit to blocking unwilling people into their homes, we're going to stop and listen today. We'll see which areas are most likely to throw a fit and which quieter zones we should leave alone."

Since Flint was one of the few heroes who didn't wear a mask, she covered her identity with a baseball cap and medical face-mask. Since people assumed she was sick, they naturally looked away and gave her space.

Katsuki had become famous as the boy who refused to be crowned ruler and who was abducted by the League of Villains back before they reached their full strength. No matter what he did in a more positive light, he was known for his few failures. Thanks to his horrific attitude and fire-related quirk, he was often asked if he was Endeavor's son. Some even went as far as to imply he and Shoto had been switched at birth, which amused Flint to no end.

* * *

Flint and Katsuki split up and moved through the crowds. The former situated herself in a busy food court and listened to the gossip. As expected, the hot topic was the national curfew.

"I'm not going to do it. I'm going to climb out of my window if I have to!"

"You're on the fifth floor," the second speaker joked.

"I'm serious, Johnny. I'll get out whatever it takes. There are more of us than there are heroes."

Only young mothers or elderly people seemed to accept the curfew.

"If it'll keep my son safe in this scary world, I'll lock us in the bathroom if the government tells us to."

"The government knows what's best for us."

 _Yeah, right_ , Katuski thought with a snort. He walked through the crowds and made sure to keep his ears everywhere, but eyes strictly on any potential threats. Ever since his abduction in his first year, he had completely lost his trust in strangers. He believed people for their actions, never their words. In his opinion, the government was stuffed full of a bunch of idiots who never did anything but cluck like hens and sign meaningless papers.

An hour before curfew, Flint and Katsuki met up to compare their findings. Not only did they need to decide on if they would patrol, but where they would go.

"This shut-in idea certainly is granny approved," she noted.

"Then you should love it, you hag." Katsuki countered with a smirk.

Flint chuckled, but moved on without retaliation. "I'm not interested in policing this, are you?"

"Why the fuck would I? Isn't half the fun of being an agent that you can pick and choose your missions?"

"It is. But some agents are a bit more brainwashed than others." She frowned slightly and slid her phone from her pocket. A few taps on the screen later and she dialed a young agent. While he had proved himself to be intelligent enough, he was a bit naïve and overly willing to prove himself. "I need to contact Shinso. He'd be a real detriment to the people's morale if he showed up."

The line rang again and again before going to voicemail. Flint frowned and tapped her way into a hidden app. Several dots gleamed on a map.

Katsuki shamelessly leaned in. "I thought you said only suits can track us."

Flint zoomed out and searched Shinso's name. "Yeah, that's true," she muttered thoughtlessly.

"You've never worn a suit a day in your life," he noted.

"Or a dress," she agreed. "Only Hawks and I have this. We're the closest things to leaders that the agents have, aside from the suits. While neither of us have seniority, both of us are quick to offer assistance to our peers, exercise caution, and keep our mouths shut." At the last three things, she glanced pointedly at Katuski before resuming her search.

"I helped my classmates all the time," he huffed. "Now stop treating me like a damn extra and tell me why you called the Sleeping Shithead?"

Flint saw he was in a set of hero apartments. She pulled off her coat, hat, and mask and collected some nearby gravel to create a floating carpet of earth. "I swear, everything has to be a debate with you," she sighed. Flint paused and tried to recall her last sidekick. Something told her she'd had one before. After a moment, she lost focus and shook her head. As far as she knew, Katsuki was her first official underling. "He shouldn't be asleep. We've got to go fill him in." So they traveled.

Katsuki jumped through the air like a fiery lord of murder. As he darted after Flint, his hat blew off. The people below were so used to heroes that they didn't even look at the two as they soared above them.

Flint allowed the gravel to tumble down on the street and followed her tracker to Shinso's room. She knocked on the door and waited. After another moment, she paused. "Shinso?" Flint called his phone again. This time, she held the speaker away from her ear. Inside, his ringtone played.

Flint used her earth quirk to break in. The door slid open, but nobody was there. She and Katsuki looked around. "Here's his suit," the latter called.

Flint frowned and recalled Hitoshi's problematic tendency to go for walks and overthink for long stretches of time. She glanced at Shinso's most recent information. "He put in a report about the League. Maybe he went back?" She suggested.

"Suitless?" Katuski glanced in the bathroom. "He's probably just moping that he didn't get to be the star of the show. He's always been a sore loser."

Flint sighed and looked around for any clues. There were no signs of a struggle or hint at that anyone before them had broken in. "Maybe the League found out they were double crossed. We could have a leak in the agents."

Katsuki grinned. "So we're going back?" He couldn't help but sound excited at the idea of exploding more heads.

Flint considered her options for a moment. "Tomorrow," she agreed. "If he doesn't show up by then, we'll go back to the League for Murderfest, the Sequel." While Katsuki assumed Shinso was moping, Flint knew the boy had never wanted to be an agent, but had acted because he thought it was better than nothing.

The second day they were give Shinso more than a passing thought, as they'd been assigned a more interesting duty. The suits had to deal with covering their tracks. Scissorhands was apprehended and given to Flint to deal with. Though they had never said so before, the suits openly acknowledged Flint as the agents' superior. So of course, Flint had given Katsuki the chance to practice his communication skills.

Katuski blew off steam by screaming and throwing well aimed punches. Flint told Katsuki not to use his quirk, just in case Scissorhands would be needed back onscreen.

Flint leaned against a nearby wall with her arms folded. "They wouldn't listen!" Scissorhands hissed, his palms carefully cradled on his gut. "I told them they were all criminals if they didn't get back inside. What did you want me to do? _You_ recruited me, Flint."

"I did," she agreed, "but you've proven yourself to be a power hungry monster." She lifted her phone to replay the video. "You attempted to decapitate a six year old girl. For that, you no longer have my stamp of approval."

Katsuki couldn't keep quiet. "Guys like you really piss me off. You got your _hero_ license, so you think it's okay to hit little girls?" He hadn't even needed to use his quirk to win the fight. "You're pathetic," he spat.

Flint knew incarceration wasn't an option. For a failed agent, there was only one way out. "Luckily, we were able to identify the girl and her family. You've already sent a thoughtful fruit bouquet and the latest in Deku merchandise as way of an apology. You will go public taking full fault for the incident."

That evening, Scissorhands proclaimed his shame and took on all the responsibility for his shortcomings. Even as he spoke, his pride kept his spine rigid and eyes glaring hatefully into the camera. Although Flint would have gotten rid of him sooner rather than later; until the incident had blown over, Scissorhands would remain alive. Flint and Overkill stayed out of the line of cameras, but present and ready to intervene if the former vigilante tried to make a break for it.

Scissorhands kept himself calm enough to make a statement. "As a hero, I never should have attacked an innocent bystander. I give my victim and the nation my most sincere apologies and relinquish my hero license."

As he marched off the stage, Katsuki asked the question that had been on his mind. "What will happen to him?"

Flint checked that no one was around before answering. "He doesn't know much, but he knows enough to be a liability. Someone like him would be vengeful and seek out All For One at once. One of us are to be his executioner when the public have turned their eye to someone else."

Katsuki watched as Deku smiled and accepted a hug from the child he'd saved, then from her grateful mother. He felt a twinge of envy that he'd rarely receive such open attention. Katsuki looked up at the stand where microphones stood at the ready to capture every hero's word and declare them a villain.

"You can still be a pro hero, kid." Flint told him, as if reading his mind. "If you want to give someone the ultimate end, make sure there are no witnesses or cameras. You can still be the best." She knew that being the indisputable first was important to him.

Katsuki glared at his feet. "How? Deku has who knows how many quirks and the sort of face that puts everyone at ease. All I can do is make explosions and put everyone on edge."

Flint could imagine having the exact same chat with Endeavor, had the siblings not pulled away in their high school years. She said to Katsuki exactly what she would have told her brother. "Then be the best at not giving a shit."

On the third day, they trained.

Come the fourth night, Flint received a visit from Shoto.

"The police and heroes are doing the biggest team-up ever," he told her. "It's practically an army that will go in and attempt to take down the League of Villains once and for all."

Flint couldn't help but sass her nephew. "I believe it's called the Villain Alliance," she chuckled.

Shoto wasn't amused. "Were you invited or not?"

The middle-aged woman sighed and shook her head. "No, kid, they didn't. They probably think I'd take it personally and go on a rampage, or maybe they don't want me to break a hip."

Katsuki had gotten his call earlier and had eagerly accepted. "I know Bakugo's coming. You're his mentor, so it's probably only assumed you'll go with him." Shoto kept his tone even, but he was infuriated that Flint wouldn't be included in the historic event.

"Are you worried? Do you need me to watch your back?" She taunted her nephew, hoping to prick some sense of pride.

Shoto remembered how she'd saved him from Dabi. After years of training, he had utterly failed within his first year as a sidekick. "…yes," he admitted.

Flint resisted the urge to tease him. She once had to look down to make eye contact with her nephew, but found that now she needed to tilt her head back. "If you don't go because you're scared, you'll never get over your fear, Shoto." A frown settled upon her lips. "You have good quirks and an even better mind. Should you stay behind, everything you've done and everything you've will have been a waste."

* * *

Neither Tokoyami nor Hawks' identities had been discovered on the night of the killing spree. Hawks had been given his new sidekick and both had been ordered to stay as a part of the League of Villains. Before they went, one of the suits briefed them. "Something's going on with their website. Their motto has changed and their new name is the Villain Alliance, but it's still the same place as ever. You'll have to get in using stealth and think on your toes to explain away any noted absence. They clearly weren't having picnics when you were away, Hawks."

Hawks recalled the carnage he'd felt from his feather. He was far more aware of what happened in the entry hall than anyone, thanks to his hasty call for retreat. The deaths of the first responders was yet another burden he carried on his increasingly hunched shoulders. "Yeah, I've got it," he said in as calm a tone as he could, as he didn't want to infect Tokoyami with his air of defeat.

Hawks knew that the biggest, baddest guy was out of his coma and that he claimed to have orchestrated everything. There was no reason for him to find hope, but he still tried. One day, Hawks would give heroes a boring life where they had safe retirements and easy patrols. He told himself it had to happen, because he'd sacrificed every piece of himself to make it so.

On the fourth day, the duo returned to the Villain Alliance tower to gather intelligence for a group of pros, themselves included. Hawks pulled out his phone and hesitated. "All of my villain contacts are dead," he noted with an awkward tone. He didn't want to sound celebratory, nor did he revel in the death of a fellow man, but he could appreciate that they had made some headway.

Tokoyami kept his face as calm as ever. Hawks supposed it was a pain to show expression when one had a beak for a mouth. "Would someone recognize you if you showed yourself?" The younger man asked.

Hawks considered the thinning of the villains' ranks. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "I can't really pick locks or jam doors. Once we're in, we're suck." The duo wondered why they'd been sent back. Hawks interrupted their thoughts before either of them could get too dark. "Ah well. Let's just get on with it. Shinso will probably be in there to vouch for us." He hoped that Brainteaser's word would be enough.

Hawks should have been thrilled to find the front door unlocked, but only felt apprehension as he and Tokoyami stepped inside.

* * *

Katsuki began the fifth day with an argument. He'd been surprised to learn that Flint wasn't going to be a part of the army of heroes. "Why aren't you coming, you coward?"

Flint had no leads, so she had to place Shinso as missing and create a new mission to the agents, suggesting they be on the lookout.

Unlike when she spoke with Shoto, she didn't have to shield Katsuki from the truth. "Hawks was sent back to the Villain Alliance to gather information. If he dies, I'm the head-non-suit and have to keep training and missions flowing neatly." Katsuki had noticed how she'd made sure to respond to her emails nightly and look at her phone's tracker to make sure everyone was in their place. While Midnight was one of the most senior members of the organization, she lacked the sort of personality necessary to make decisions or even the seriousness required to conduct a meeting.

"Tsukuyomi and Hawks are where they should be. Everything is going exactly according to plan," she informed him. Even as she looked, she saw that their heartrates were slightly elevated, but neither had hit their panic button. "Heroes or not, if one of them requests backup at any point, we're going in. That's why I'm not too sad about being left off the dream team."

The sixth day there was still no word on Shinso. Though she didn't enjoy their chats, she decided to call Aizawa, as the boy had gone to Eraserhead before for long, tedious chats.

"Hey, Eraserhead," she greeted.

The underground hero had been napping. He answered the phone groggily, with a threat in his voice. "What do you want?"

The sun was out, the birds were singing, and Aizawa was probably in the middle of his sleep cycle. "I was wondering if you've seen Hitoshi. He wasn't at his apartment and his suit shows it's still where he left it."

Flint heard the shuffle of fabric through the line. "How many days has he been missing?"

"I haven't seen him since after we left the Villain's Tower. From the sound of it, nobody else has, either. Bakugo swears got out and Shinso made a report with the agents." She could practically feel Aizawa's eyes narrow.

"Is there a chance that someone could have stolen his information and logged onto his account?"

Flint briefly considered the measures they'd taken against hackers. "They'd have to look like him. Toga was locked away when he first went missing."

Aizawa grunted and laid his head back down. "Maybe you should learn to keep a tighter leash on your agents. First you have Scissorhands losing his composure and attacking civilians, then you lose one of your most prized students within a day of All For One's resurrection."

Flint remembered why she hated their calls. Aizawa couldn't help but take jabs at the agents. "Yes, it is a shame that we give extra aid to students who need it. It'd be much better for society if they felt like outcasts and drowned in the underhero ranks, where they'll never be acknowledged. Remind me, what's your rate for villain turnover?"

Aizawa bristled at the remarks. Many underground heroes had shifted either to the agents or blatant villainy. His type was a dying breed, as most young upstarts wanted the same fame as All Might. "If he's in the Villain's Tower, he'll get out tomorrow."

"None of Tukauchi's plans have worked before, Aizawa."

"An attitude like that was precisely why you weren't invited." He ended the call.

On day seven, Katsuki made sure everything worked on his suit. "I'll hit the tracker once if it's an emergency and we need backup. I'll hit twice if it's a total fucking catastrophe and we need help withdrawing."

Of the agents, only Katsuki, Tsukuyomi, and Katsuki were assigned to the mission. The two of them sat in the lab and waited for eight in the evening, when the hero army would attack. "Remember, our orders are _not_ to kill anyone this time around. A lab wants to study the effects of All For One's quirk. They believe that maybe there may be residue of one's natural quirk or a way to transfer quirks back."

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it, you hag."

Katsuki never would have guessed that under her calm demeanor, she was furious at her orders to stay behind.


	35. Seven Villainous Days

**Seven Villainous Days**

* * *

It took no effort beyond a simple thought to keep Momo and Neito on the taboo quirk. The capacity of the original quirk-wielder had been to put a taboo on only two people. Thanks to his boosters, All For One could do it to more. He placed one on Inko Midoriya, as to keep Izuku from rushing to his mother. For now, the boy needed to focus. Inko would be nothing more than a needless distraction. After all his years of covering the identity of the fictional Hisashi Midoriya, All For One removed the taboo and allowed people to think freely of the alias. After so much time, it was unlikely anyone would even consider the fellow.

All For One's foresight told him that Izuku Midoriya would have become an impressive hero with his natural born quirk. It would have worked well with his knack for strategy. Had All For One not intervened, his son would have gotten into a decent high school and a perfectly happy, ordinary life for a pro hero. All For One wouldn't allow a child of his to succumb to such a mundane fate.

Over the years, he'd fathered children for the possibility of furthering his own agendas. He owed his foresight to one of his offspring, along with telekinesis, air step, and a few others that were far more useful than the average quirk.

All For One sent Neito to retrieve Toga, as well as a substantial amount of money taken from a nearly limitless bank account. As expected, his son was able to arrive with not only Toga, but the ten of the most desperate prisoners All For One had heard over the phone. They met in the arena of a Quirk Gym.

On the first night of the curfew, All For One gained ten devout followers who owed him for their new lives. They practiced in the Quirk Gym's arenas in excited sparring and happy chatter. Each one was giddy with their new, supercharged quirks.

Along with them came a bald doctor with a thick, grey mustache, an unimpressive figure, and green-tinted goggles that covered his eyes.

* * *

Neito Monoma wondered if he was under a sort of mind control. He went about every task his father appointed to him not only with ease, but with complacency. He found he had no qualms bribing prisoners free from their cells, aside from Toga.

When the blushing girl had pointed out his resemblance to All For One, Neito countered by saying she was blonde like All For One as well. The girl had gushed and mentioned that she'd never known her father.

As easily as that, Toga was curious and infatuated with the idea of All For One as a parent. Neito witnessed the exchanges from a methodical point of view. By the time the newly quirk-vamped group had paired off to spar and test their new limits, Neito headed off to bed.

The Quirk Gym's underground bunker was satisfactory, but by no means comfortable. Everyone definitively knew that Quirk Gyms had been hideouts for the League of Villains in their early days. Neito grabbed some scavenged clothes and slipped them on, as to not wrinkle the costume in his sleep.

As soon as he was alone, he sent a third text to Midnight.

 **I'm not dead.**

 **All For One has the Prime Minister under his belt.**

 **Are you dead?**

He stared after he sent the last message. He felt concerned at her lack of replies, as she'd normally respond with at least an emoji.

* * *

The second day showed him a clip of Deku and Lemillion apprehending an agent. Neito knew Scissorhands by reputation and felt no pity for his fellow, incredibly bloodthirsty agent. Neito watched All For One glance up at the report and smirk before his eyes resumed their glance at his computer screen. Thanks to his foresight, All For One knew of the hero army that would move to his door and made sure to prepare an appropriate meeting for them. Not only would they encounter Nomu, but he would only allow them enough agents to avoid suspicion. Most of the agents had been assigned to fools' errands, such as catching petty criminals or guarding government officials. One For All passed his directions to Ken and expected the CEO to order the suits, who would pass information to the agents. In using such an indirect line of communication, his involvement was far less likely to be discovered.

All For One informed the prime minister that no civilians or first responders were to go near the villain tower. He didn't want his name sullied with anything beyond the death of a few dozen heroes, or else it could have consequences on the empire he strove to build.

A knock at the door caused Neito to gratefully push himself from his seat. "Hello, Doctor X," he greeted, a casual smile on his face. He stepped back to allow their goggled guest of honor to step into the roomy, though dark room.

Over the years, All For One had used Doctor X on several occasions. First and foremost, the doctor aided All For One in his collection of quirks in young children. Not only was Doctor X able to act as a portable X-ray, but he could see which children would develop quirks and what they would be. Doctor X had delivered almost all of One For All's children. As a dual-certified doctor in obstetrics and pediatrics, Doctor X had been key in developing Nomu, thanks to his work in creating an artificial womb for fully grown humans.

Doctor X had been the one to switch the X-ray for Izuku Midoriya. Though the boy only had one joint in his pinky toe, it was a simple matter of swapping names for Doctor X to trick young Midoriya and his mother.

"How many Nomu are left?" All For One asked.

"Shigaraki has six of his flunkees for cannon fodder. There are four left that are currently blank slates. It should only take a few days for their bodies to mesh properly with whatever quirks you give them."

All For One turned off his computer and strode from the room. Without so much as a gesture to Neito and Doctor X, both knew to follow him. Using a mix of his quick step, air walk, and incorporeal quirks, he was able to transport the three of them easily to the Nomu lab.

He looked down at the black creatures, all of which needed an appropriate mesh of abilities. "Neito," he began, his head turned ever so slightly to the copy-cat. "What quirks would be complimentary in a Nomu?"

For the rest of the day, they discussed and experimented with quirk mixes, mostly by Neito infusing multiple abilities within himself to test his theories. More often than not, his hypothesizes proved to be correct. Not only did All For One find his son's mind impressive, Neito appreciated not feeling like a second choice.

* * *

By the third day, Neito was rearing to do more. While the agents had treated him well, he had never felt such complete respect or relied upon for anything of importance. His tasks were mostly those of infiltration or assassinations, which left him entirely from the spotlight. They returned to the quirk gym for the night, leaving Doctor X to work with the Nomu.

When All For One shut down his computer and stood, Neito was instantly on his feet. "Today we'll return to the tower and see who has taken leadership of the dregs that remain in the Villain Alliance." He reached out his hand, extending a wordless offering of quirks for Neito to copy. Of course, the Phantom Thief willingly obliged.

Neito only had a moment to touch All For One's arm and absorb quirks before they were off. He felt the phasing ability and quick step seam effortlessly through his body. In only an instant, Neito could wield both as if they'd become a part of him. Both blondes reached their destination in an impossibly short time, the same as yesterday. All For One glanced at the ruined hall that had been slathered and stained in blood.

"What a tacky first impression," Neito stated with a condescending tone.

At that very moment, Kota wandered by, having just finished delivering Muscular his breakfast. "Boy," Neito called lazily. As luck would have it, he recognized the lad from the training camp. "Clean this up."

Kota glowered and walked away. "Take it up with the boss."

All For One grinned at the child's spirit. "Just where might your boss be?"

"He's in Facepalm's old room," Kota said as he marched away, having reached the end of his helpful spree. He had dishes to take care of and needed to find more antifreeze to shove into his newest master's next batch of food.

All For One offered his arm once more, which Neito touched without a second thought. He felt a new quirk surge through him, this one similar to flight. Neito combined the ability with the previous phasing and was able to levitate up after All For One.

They slid right into Muscular's room. Shortly after finishing his food, the brute of a man had pushed himself back down in his mattress. While he rested, Neito reached forward and nudged the man's foot with a quick touch.

"He looks quite a bit like you," Neito mentioned.

All For One looked at the sleeping man with a certain level of familiarity. "Perhaps he's a descendant of mine." A tendril shot from his back and jabbed into Muscular, who awoke with a start. All For One forcibly activated the quirk and watched as muscles split and cascaded over Muscular's body.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Muscular grabbed the black and red cord and yanked it from his body. Fibers raced across his arms and legs, strengthening him with every moment. He drew back for a punch and launched himself forward at blinding speed.

All For One levitated upwards as high as the ceiling would allow. Neito met the thug mid-stride and matched his force. He experimented by using the quick step. Just one movement had his fist drive through his opponent's arm as if it were made of ground beef. Neito felt blood splash on his jacket and grinned. "You're not putting up much of a fight, are you?" He moved forward again. This time, his fist drove into Muscular's clavicle and shattered the bone.

Muscular screamed in pain and tried to hit Neito with his free limb. Neito made himself incorporeal and dodged entirely. When Muscular's hand was out of the way, Neito drove his fist into the center of Muscular's chest and made two forward motions with the quick step.

As simply as that, the new king was dethroned. All For One clapped from his midair stand, an excited sneer on his lips. "How impolite, Neito. You didn't get his name."

"Sorry, Dad," he chuckled. "I'll be sure to ask next time."

Before Muscular could fully die, All For One took the muscle quirk for himself.

* * *

All For One's newest ten followers arrived by the end of the day. The former prisoners took it upon themselves to clean the deplorable entryway. Kota watched with a scowl and didn't offer any help. Tears of rage dripped from his face when he learned of Muscular's demise. _It was supposed to be me. I was the one that had to kill him!_ Other children gathered to watch the scrubbing, all of them openly glad that they hadn't been called to the task.

 _Mama. Papa. That stupid man stole them from me. He would've killed me back at the training camp too, if Midoriya hadn't butted in and saved my life._ The boy sniffled and rubbed his eyes. _Now I'm stuck with these idiots._

* * *

While his underlings went about cleaning the tower, All For One met with new recruits. They used back alleys and vials of Ujiko, sold on the Black Market, to gather by the dozens to the new Villain Alliance. Over fifty fresh villains pledged themselves, and their quirks, to the cause of ending hero society. Some quirks were swapped between persons, while others were traded entirely from All For One's vault of quirks. Altogether, there were nearly ninety dedicated soldiers to his cause by the day's end, with more scheduled to arrive within hours.

* * *

On the fourth day, Hawks arrived in the freshly cleaned tower. Though All For One couldn't see him, his tracking quirk alerted him that Tokoyami had also joined the pro. For the moment, he maintained ignorance. "Welcome, Hawks, to the Villain Alliance."

He found the quirk of feathers far too tedious for him to bother with. While he may have a few followers who wanted such an intricate quirk, Hawks had proven himself capable of wearing the hat of a villain or filling the role of an agent.

Hawks glanced up in surprise at the tall, entirely unfamiliar man. "I don't believe we've met," he said, his goggled eyes glancing over the new figure.

"I'm All For One, the renewed leader of the Villain Alliance." For so long, his reputation had preceded him. He found that he had enjoyed introducing himself once or twice, but that it had grown repetitive and mildly irritating as the days went by.

Hawks felt the urge to grab his sword feathers. It was only by the skin of his teeth that he didn't twitch his fingers to reach. He consciously worked to keep his thoughts clear and face stoic. "Is that so? Nice to meet'cha," Hawks said in a remarkably casual tone.

All For One approached and held out his hand, but reached for Tokoyami at the last moment. He smirked as Dark Shadow vanished and Tsukuyomi became fully visible.

"So, Hawks. Did you bring a spy with you to my hall of villainy? Or did you get followed unawares?" He already knew the answer. After all, it had been All For One who determined Hawks should become a spy in the first place.

Hawks had a lie at the ready. "I didn't want my sidekick to get picked on straight out of the gate. Tsukuyomi is a like-minded individual that finds hero society taxing and judgmental."

Tokoyami jumped in for himself. "I tire of the looks I get for Dark Shadow. If they want to assume the worst of me, then I'll give them all I have to offer." Tokoyami's dark glare was convincing, but not nearly enough to sway All For One.

He knew that they were both lying. He could feel them suppressing their thoughts and wills battling against their words. "Is that so?" All For One asked, not truly expecting an answer. "That's good to hear. Let's go, Hawks and Tsukuyomi. I have some friends I think you'd be interested in meeting."

* * *

Neito played the part of a thoughtful instructor. He copied the followers' quirks and aided them with coaching and mentioning how they might best utilize their newfound abilities. He made sure to keep his teaching simple, as he knew he wasn't always dealing with the brightest bulbs.

Toga stared at Neito with far too much interest for the young man's comfort. He paused in his instruction and straightened. "Yes, can I help you?" He asked the overly enthusiastic girl.

She eyed his suit hungrily. "You look so cute with all that blood," she cooed, her cheeks reddening and eyes narrowing happily. Neito inwardly shuddered.

"I'm flattered, but I'm taken," he proclaimed with a polite smile. Though he'd never had a girlfriend a day in his life, he knew that the villain was the epitome of crazy.

Toga pouted, but kept eying Neito obsessively.

Little by little, members of the crumpled League of Villains came to see the cause of the commotion. As All For One was busy with other matters, it was up to Neito to make sure the newest faces knew their places.

A crowd gathered behind Moonfish. The escaped murderer breathed through his mouth like a rabid dog. "Who are you?" He asked with a low growl. Each word was labored and devoid of any reasonable emotion.

"I'm the Phantom Thief, your new second in command," he introduced. When he tried to be a hero, he was met with roadblock after roadblock. Down this villainous path, he was able to act however he saw fit. For the first time, he felt as if he were truly flourishing.

The villains scowled and rolled their eyes. Neito inwardly frowned as he noted the presence of children. All For One walked into the room with Tsukuyomi and Hawks beside him. Neito glanced over his shoulder with a lazy grin, which nearly faltered when he saw his fellow agents' glazed expressions. He couldn't help an errant thought from rushing through his mind. _That quirk was problematic enough with Shinso's control._

"In a few days' time, an army of heroes will be on our doorstep. If you would like to stay with us and aid in the fight to regain ultimate supremacy, stay with us and we'll crush society as we know it. Once it's defeated, we will rebuild together to make the world an easier place to live. If you don't wish to be a part of the change, you may leave."

What remained of the League of Villains frustratingly small crowd. Once again, he was reminded of how he had enabled Shigaraki at every turn, but how terribly the man had failed. Behind All For One, his new flock of followers stood, backing him. One man from the scattered League stepped in the direction of the door, but never reached his designation. All For One used a fire quirk to create a jet of white flames and incinerate him where he stood.

"Anyone else?" All For One asked in the perfect silence that followed.

* * *

Nobody else left. Day six was used to train and make preparations for the army of heroes. Doctor X visited and used his quirk to assess the nearly undiminished herd of children. His goggles lingered on Kota far too long for comfort, as if he were considering the boy. In the end, the doctor only took five of the younger children, only three to four years old, back to his lab.

* * *

On day seven, Ujiko summoned a sleeping Deku to his expansive room.


	36. A Rude Awakening

**A Rude Awakening**

* * *

Mirio called Sir Nighteye the moment Izuku was abducted, as he was not only a trusted mentor, but one of the masterminds behind the army of heroes. Together, he and Tsukauchi had come up with a strategy based on the information on both heroes and villains. Mirio wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't Sir Nighteye's most stoic response.

"Today is not the day of Midoriya's death."

Mirio was hardly reassured. "Can you tell if we win today?"

Sir Nighteye retained his stoic tone. "Our preparations will be complete by tonight. Do not rush in, or else our plan will be thwarted."

Mirio was tempted to end the call, but he knew to go in alone would be suicide. He clenched his fist and forced himself to listen. All For One had the chance to kill Izuku before, but hadn't. Mirio clung to the hope that All For One would keep his supposed son alive. Though he could find the logic in his statement, he remembered the girl he hadn't rescued – Eri. As soon as he thought of her pleading face and saw her vividly in his minds' eye, he knew he would fail this waiting game.

"Mirio?" Sir Nighteye asked from the other end.

There was a moment of indecisive silence. "I can't wait."

He hung up the phone. By going alone, Mirio could rush through defenses and attacks alike. Mirio rushed out the door even as he jammed his visor into place. While it did little to hide his identity, it was bulletproof, just in case he remained corporal long enough to take a hit, and had a gas mask and communicator installed.

Mirio jumped on his yellow street bike, which he only used in emergencies, and turned the throttle full force. His first battle was through morning traffic, but the small stature of his vehicle allowed him to weave through with minor difficulties.

He arrived at the Villain Tower in record time. Mirio hid his bike in an alley and slid the key in a nearby loose brick, as it would fall through his pocket if he kept it on his person. As soon as he stowed the bike as safely as he cared, he cautiously measured the distance to the front door with his eyes. His body slipped below the ground and walked through the earth until he was level with the first step. He kept going another three meters and finally solidified.

His matter solidified up to his eyes. As soon as he could see, he peered around the spotless front hall, ready for any guards.

He wasn't prepared for Neito Monoma, who greeted the young hero with a slow clap. The seemingly unattached head afforded Neito a serious stare, accompanied with a stern frown.

"Impressive!" Neito said with a lazy smile. "You earned me ten dollars with your speedy reaction." The young man's lazy drawl offered no apology for the supposed kidnapping. "I suppose you want to know where Midoriya is?"

Mirio knew that Neito and Izuku had never gotten along, but he had no idea how a UA graduate could find themselves in the Villain Alliance. His shock lasted for only a moment. Mirio charged forward and swept low. He phased through Neito, who had stiffened and prepared to counter.

Mirio solidified behind Neito and aimed an elbow at the back of his neck.

Shadowy claws reached forward to grab him. Mirio had to abandon his attack to let the blow slip through his torso. Only a moment later, the air filled with crimson tufts. Mirio recognized Hawks' quirk and inwardly cursed. With the feathers, Hawks could tell which part of Mirio would become corporal the instant it happened. Around him, Dark Shadow stretched forth, able to fully sense everything in its vicinity. Against two powerful location-type quirks, he'd have to be incredibly fast and tricky.

Neito turned and grabbed Mirio's arm. The touch was only an instant and not nearly long enough to grab the hero and throw him down, but it was adequate to allow him to copy Mirio's ability. "What a picky quirk," Neito remarked as he experimented. Even as Neito spoke, Mirio became intangible and shied back into the ground. Neito found he was able to strengthen the ability and keep his clothes on. Unlike Mirio, Neito didn't fancy flashing his opponent mid-battle. "We're supposed to escort you to Midoriya. Would you like to come, or will you continue to dance in the entry like a buffoon?" With a lazy nod, he gestured for Hawks and Tsukuyomi to lower their attacks.

Mirio knew better than to trust a word Neito said, but he needed to remain aware of his surroundings. The young hero slid up through the floor and stood in a space well away from the wall, just before the base of the stares. A good look at his opponents showed him the vacant gazes of Hawks and Tsukuyomi. Within an instant, he knew that they were brainwashed. Izuku had mentioned before how Neito and Shinso were close and often trained together. Mirio had seen Izuku's match against Shinso and knew how the quirk activated. After so many years of Izuku's fanboy research tendencies, Mirio had taken to memorizing the quirks and stories of friend and foe alike.

"What a serious face," Neito chuckled. He seemed to finally register the stoic glower and serious eyes through Lemillion's visor. "Fine, I'll show you that he's safe and sound." Neito glanced over his shoulder and called out. "Come on, Midoriya."

Izuku walked out with the same glazed eyes as Tsukuyomi and Hawks.

Mirio looked for any signs of harm or a struggle. He recalled how in Izuku's first year, he'd been able to break through the brainwashing by breaking his own fingers. Did he stare at a copy of his friend, or the real deal? Surely, the real Midoriya wouldn't let himself be caught.

Did he dare gamble?

Mirio fully solidified to get the best look possible.

In an instant, Tsukuyomi and Hawks were upon him. Mirio had expected some sort of gesture. A snap, even a flick of Neito's finger, but there was nothing to warn him. A feather brushed against Mirio's arm and the darkness stole away a good portion of Mirio's light. He began to crouch and prepare for an offensive. Since Midoriya wasn't here, he could always retreat deeper into the Villain Tower. Just before he could, he saw Neito's disposition shift.

Neito had moved and held a dagger to Izuku's throat. "Dodge and your sidekick will die," Neito warned over the commotion. "This is a promise, not a threat."

Mirio wasn't as certain of the situation as he wanted to be. For a moment, he hesitated. There was no way to tell if it was a villain goon, Deku, or some innocent bystander transformed by a quirk. Neito had no bluff in his eye. _Even if it is a villain, nobody deserves to be murdered._ Mirio forced himself to stand still. Tsukuyomi's shadow claws grabbed the hero's wrists. Mirio felt a prick as Hawks strode forward and experimentally slid a knife on the back of Mirio's hand. Blood welled and dripped along the back of his fist.

"Very good," Neito commented. "Now say something to me. I don't trust you if you're left to your own devices."

Mirio couldn't reach his tracker to make a distress signal, but it didn't matter. The hero army would arrive within eight hours, no matter who was dumb enough to rush off to the Villain Tower in the meantime. "Fine," he said. He felt his mind become instantly rigid and fall under Neito's control.

Neito released the hold he had on Izuku. The young man gasped as he gathered his freedom. He groaned and grabbed both sides of his head. "You said you wouldn't do that!" Izuku looked at the blood on the back of Mirio's hand with a lustful expression. "Togata-kun," he cooed, "I like it when you bleed."

 _So it was Toga._ He was no closer to finding the true Midoriya and had given himself over to the villain's control. Even having a thought of his own was suffocating, as if he were a stranger in his own body and mind.

"Let's go downstairs," Neito directed. Hawks, Tsukuyomi, and Lemillion had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Izuku was totally caught within his head. He worked on his empathy quirk, which proved to be effective for not only reading, but adapting moods. As stuck in his head as he was, he remained dangerously unaware of his surroundings.

He knew it had to be near time to awaken and began to pull away, but was stopped by the fire user. "You're ready for the basics of my quirk," Todoroki said, his words spoken as if he were bequeathing Izuku with quite the honor.

Izuku smiled and bowed his head respectfully. "I'd appreciate any pointers you have." He said as humbly as he could. He'd made himself cautious not to seem more grateful to one vestige over the other, as to keep them from entering debates over which of their abilities was the most useful – a thing he'd learned on his first night of training.

"One For All in itself has made you fireproof," he began, "but you can still feel heat. It's a warning not for yourself, but for others."

Izuku couldn't help but look befuddled. Out of curiosity, he held up his palm and created a small flame. He fought his sense of self preservation and swiped his fingers over it. He expected pain, but was alarmed to find no damage had been done. Izuku flicked his digits through the embers once more before he finally held them still.

"Are you done?" Todoroki asked sternly.

Izuku nearly jumped out of his skin. The small flutter of fire extinguished from his grasp. "Y-yeah, sorry," he muttered. _He has the Todoroki glare, too! That's scary._

He went through the instruction and learned as much as he could. He thanked the vestiges for their time and faded from the dreamscape.

* * *

It was pure luck that Katsuki Bakugo had been reviewing his particular assignment when Sir Nighteye got a call. Tsukauchi, Nezu, and Aizawa sat with All Might's former sidekick, as the four of them were the brains of the Hero Army. _Midoriya's death. Do not rush in_. These two statements were enough for Katsuki to slam the door open.

"Young Bakugo-" Nezu began.

"Can it, Rat!" He felt no shame to speak so disrespectfully to his old principal. "Hey, Bitch-Face. What do you mean don't rush in? What's this shit about Deku?"

"Bakugo, enough," Aizawa stated firmly. "If you want someone to tell you what's going on, you have to stop and listen." Though his voice never elevated to a yell, his stern tone was enough to quell Katsuki's explosive temper; if only for a moment.

At the very least, it got him to check himself. Katsuki continued in what he believed was a more reasonable level. "Deku is the only one that can beat All For One," _you idiots_. He had to resist speaking the last two words aloud, though they were clearly implied.

Nezu nodded, perfectly at ease. "I have known of All Might and Izuku Midoriya's relationship since their first year, young Bakugo. We knew that one way or another, the villains would take Izuku, no matter how well we guarded his apartment or even if we put him under house arrest." All the days that Mirio and Izuku had been inside, different incognito heroes had watched their home. "We deemed that nothing we did would stop Izuku's second kidnapping, nor that anything we said would keep Mirio away. They are both in the Villain Tower now."

Tsukauchi saw a vein throb in Katsuki's temple and decided to do his best to explain themselves further. The moment he opened his mouth, Katuski shoved his hand up. "I get it," the agent proclaimed. "If I go now, then someone goes after me, and so on. If we all stagger in like a bunch of rejects, they can pick us off one by one." As much as he hated it, he could see the cold, hard logic of the situation.

* * *

Cameras were poised at every angle. Some were in the floors, others were safely nestled in the ceiling. Some zoomed around in drones. La Brava slid her fingers over the controls, making sure to keep her subjects in full view.

All For One watched from the control room, a floor upwards and several layers to the side of the actual arena. To make the show possible, he removed the taboo from Neito, as to allow the viewers to catch the full impact of the battle.

Even as the brawl progressed, La Brava had a tech goon ensure that the security cameras both within and outside of the Villain Tower were ready to record the events of the night. With All For One in their corner and his foresight, she had no doubt that they'd emerge victorious.

* * *

Izuku was nearly blinded by the spotlights. He covered his face and blinked several times to help his eyes adjust. As disoriented as he was, he kept enough of his wits about him to use his empathy. _Four people. No… six?_ Izuku looked around to the far more faint persons. _Hawks? Tokoyami?_ The two stood like obedient statues beside the wall.

Lemillion stood in the center of the room, his eyes equally as witless as the two to the side. Izuku recognized Shinso's brainwashing quirk in an instant. Though he had multiple quirks, Izuku didn't like his odds. Not only would he have to fight Hawks, Lemillion, and Tsukuyomi with their known quirks, but Phantom Thief as well; with his plethora of unidentified quirks. Over the years, Izuku had sparsely trained with class B's copycat. Every time Izuku saw him in action, Neito seemed to dramatically improve each time, to the point where his abilities seemed nearly limitless. He could dodge within a hair's breadth of space and had perfect control of quirks within moments of touching someone.

His only saving grace was that Neito could not copy stockpiled abilities, such as One For All.

While his opponents were in full gear, Deku was in his pajamas. He stood, barefoot, the back of his mind registering strange thoughts. _If I fight all out, I'm going to wind up naked_. He thought with an inward sigh of dismay. _There are cameras everywhere, so that means this is supposed to be a snuff film._

Right on cue, All For One's voice spoke plainly over surround sound speakers. "As promised, Neito, here is your examination. You currently have multiple quirks and three puppets. Can you win against All Might's successor?"

Deku felt a rush of hatred surge through him at the voice. _No_ , he warned himself. _I have to stay calm. If I charge in blindly, I won't make it out of here alive._ Though his instruction had only lasted for a week, Deku knew the basics of each of his quirks. _I have to use the empathy to break the hold on them_. He focused on the spot near Tsukuyomi and Hawks' feet and created his first inferno in the real world. The funnel of fire cascaded around them, billowing brightly and greatly diminishing Dark Shadow. At the same moment, he focused on Lemillion, as that opponent could not be physically stopped.

Lemillion charged in close to Deku. As they'd done a million times before, the two began to spar. There were no familiar movements, as they both moved about wildly, without any true pattern for their opponent to discern. Deku leapt to the ceiling and tore out loudspeaker, which he threw down at Lemillion. Of course, Lemillion phased to dodge. Using his incredible speed, Deku dropped to the floor below and kicked back up and slightly to the side. The moment Mirio made his eyes tangible to get a read of the situation; Deku focused all his energy into breaking the hold Phantom Thief had over Lemillion.

There was a burst in his mind, like a gale of wind sweeping away clouded thoughts. The moment he was free, Lemillion became completely incorporeal and dropped to the ground. He left his thumb visible for a moment longer, as to give Deku a thumbs up.

Through it all, Deku had maintained the consistency of the fire funnel. Not only was he amazed, but he was grateful for the dream walking that had given him a chance to learn of his potential. _One down_.

Before he could even catch his breath, Phantom Thief was upon him, his tux covered with thick, expansive muscles. _Muscular?_ Deku lifted his arms upwards, dragging fire with him, and crossed his limbs into an X in front of his torso.

Phantom Thief chuckled at his burnt knuckles. "Clever, Midoriya," he congratulated, "but mine's bigger." Using precisely the same motion of drawing upwards, Phantom Thief charged and built his fire until it was as sapphire blue as Dabi's had been.

In the meantime, Lemillion slipped up into the circle of fire containing Tsukuyomi and Hawks and knocked their heads together. Both hero and sidekick were dazed and quickly regained their wits. Lemillion knew they recalled everything, as he had, so he didn't linger and fill them in. "We're good, Deku! Let them out." Lemillion called.

Even as the inferno faded into nothingness, Deku called a warning. "Stay back!" Even though the inferno was gone, fire still lingered. Deku created a storm large enough to echo with a crack of thunder.

Despite his order, Dark Shadow fell over Neito's head like a hood. Hawks deployed his feathers and began to search their surroundings, as to find any guards, or the criminal mastermind that had full run of the tower.

Lemillion used Tsukuyomi's distraction to land a solid kick to Phantom Thief's gut. "True heroes don't let their comrades stand alone," Lemillion stated, his stoic mood broken by a temporary smile as Phantom Thief seemed to double over in pain.

Only a moment later, Lemillion realized it was laughter that had brought Phantom Thief to his knees.


	37. A Necessary Change

**A Necessary Change**

* * *

Heroes called the Tsukauchi, Nezu, Aizawa, and Sir Nighteye in droves, all stating that they were ready and could deploy at a moment's notice. Though it was hours before they were due to attack, most of their soldiers were prepared to lay down their lives. The think-tank sent the heroes off with their blessing.

* * *

Momo couldn't think of a more incompetent babysitter. Not only was Maria a shallow social climber, but she was work oriented. In all of his planning, All For One had an horrifically simple oversight; Maria was also effected by the taboo that had been set on Yaoyorozu. The moment Momo submitted her code, the screens of the agency showed a single message.

 **Destroy anything related to the agents and attack at the Villain Tower with the heroes. This is the last mission.**

Within moments after sending her work, she stood and exited the building as calmly as she could, despite her racing heart. Her time with the suits had been short and fruitful. Everyone believed the orders had come from one of the suits, so they did not hesitate to obey.

* * *

Doctor X saw the message while he watched Phantom Thief's villain debut on the Dark Web. His predecessor, the Doctor X before him, had given instructions for such complete messages. Doctor X began to clear notebooks of information into a briefcase. USB drives with matching data were placed in his lab coat. In his haste to leave the lab, he failed to activate the Nomu – thus denying All For One the strongest part of his army.

* * *

Inasa Yoarashi, otherwise known as Gale Force, was the first on the scene, followed closely by Yo Shindo and Seiji Shishikura. Gale Force and Shindo began their attack at once. Gale Force used his wind to attack in tandem with the vibration quirk, which was used not to destroy the earth, but warn villains of a potential attack and signal to their allies. The brains of the operation, Sir Nighteye and his team, knew that fighting out in the open was their best option, as most of the meatheads filled with bloodlust would be the first to run out.

Gale Force was able to shatter a significant portion of windows. Though most of them were false, random ones on each floor were true. Though he was giving villains an out, he also gave heroes an in.

"My turn!" Ashido, the Alien Queen, called out happily. Even as she spoke, a blockade of ice formed around the tower. Icy Hot released a steamy breath and glanced at the forsaken structure. While there wasn't enough height for his barricade to cover the skyscraper, his ice fully encompassed the sidewalk around it, save a twenty meter wide area in the front, which was large enough to allow for some fighting.

As predicted, the boldest villains went out first. "How enthusiastic of them," Shindo chuckled merrily as he watched the villainous troops rush out, their various quirks activate. Gale Force glanced to Icy Hot, who nodded his consent. Both Alien Queen and Icy Hot were projected up to the roof, where they were to engage in combat from above. Alien Queen used her acid to decimate the lock of the first door they encountered. Shortly after they landed, they were joined by Overkill, Red Riot (Kirishima), and Chargebolt (Kaminari).

Down on the ground, Gale Force continued to add to the fighters, careful to space them in groups of five, at the very least. With a wave of his hand, Seiji kept guard on Gale Force and turned nearly a dozen potential assailants into nothing more than meatballs.

Fat Gum, Kamui Woods, and Mount Lady acted as protectors and backup for the gate squad.

Gale Force sent in Snipe, Midnight, Gang Orca, and many other easily recognizable pros. By the time Flint pulled up on a thick boulder with several of her former-vigilante agents, the idiots had become nothing more than a thick slurry of staring eyes and scrambled bodies littered over the ground.

"What position are you guys?" Gale Force asked, aware that he wouldn't be able to recognize every hero. They had created a simple system to bypass the herd of unfamiliar faces.

Flint opened her mouth to answer, just in time for a bolt of lightning to strike Gale Force in the chest. While not dead, he fell to the ground. Black, magnetic sand rained down from above, dropping onto anything metal it could find. Fortunately, the attack did little against Fat Gum, Woods, and Mount Lady, but it kept Flint from accessing the multi-use rock collection in her buckled pockets. Just in the nick of time, Kamui Woods caught Gale Force, who had his eyes rolled back in his skull.

Acting at once, Flint summoned an earthen barrier and floated it above those assembled. While it diminished their sightlines, it also enabled them not to get zapped. She looked to one of her agents, who thankfully had another electric quirk.

"There's your opponent, Shellshock," she said with a wry smile.

Shellshock (OC) unstrapped a pogo stick from his back and electrified it. With the extra energy, he jumped far higher than the device's original intent.

Zeus (OC) began to activate his black sand when a pogo stick jammed into his gut. Shellshock continued his assault; jumping on various parts of his opponent's body, even as Ryukyu flew onto the scene, her dragon form out and ready. As soon as Shellshock was clear, Ryukyu's jaws snapped over Zeus's torso to restrain him. Even before she could truly get a grip, Zeus conjured a powerful, point blank charge of lightning into the hero's gut. While it would have killed a normal human, the blast only stunned the dragon. Ryukyu fell to the ground, her body phasing back to normal. Zeus slipped free of the once-dragon's slackened hold and rolled to his feet, glad that he hadn't hit his head on impact.

Shellshock used the opening to bounce with their pogo stick straight at Zeus. In the same moment, Flint sent a boulder aimed at the villain's already sore gut. While she would have normally gone for a kill, there were too many heroes around, and the agents were no more. Not only had she destroyed her cell phone, but the tracking device in her suit as well.

Zeus moved to the side. As excellent as his quirks were, he didn't have the battle experience or training necessary to win the fight. Though Shellshock missed and slammed into the pavement beside Zeus, Flint curved her projectile and slammed her rock to his stomach, changed the shape, and shoved the villain to the ground. It only took a few swift motions of her arms to cover him in a tomb of stone.

* * *

Red Riot, Overkill, Alien Queen, Chargebolt, and Icy Hot worked as a brutally effective team. Overkill took the lead and acted not only as bait, but as a first alert for his comrades. As soon as he shouted orders, his peers sprang into action. With him as the brains, and them working as a cohesive unit, they were nearly undefeatable.

When they got to a thick, metal door that blocked off the hall, Alien Queen used her acid shot to carve out a doorway. White fire instantly burst through, along with nearly twenty villains. For a moment, Overkill's squad could do nothing more than stare. Each had become overwhelmed with an insatiable curiosity, as if their life goal was to stare into the flames.

Chargebolt kept enough sense about him to notice that the other team wore gas masks over their faces. At the same moment, Overkill realized they were under some sort of quirk. Since he had freedom of motion, he managed to block an assailant's attack only a hairsbreadth from his face.

The sidekicks rallied themselves into the most confusing battle of their lives. They would feel random swells of peace, fear, and had to fight a sudden urge to turn on their own. "Damn it!" Overkill shouted. "What the fuck is going on?"

A blonde young woman, likely no more than a few years older than the sidekicks, fired off a shot at Icy Hot. He knew his instincts and reaction time were excellent. The move was so clear, he should have easily been able to dodge – yet his brain remained calm, as if telling him that the fire couldn't hurt him.

Just like that, he was washed over with an ivory blaze.

* * *

Creati (Momo) had only managed to slip into the Villain's Tower before Zeus's arrival. Nobody had looked twice at her as she rushed in through the front doors. She even ran past Zeus himself, but he hadn't so much as glanced at her. She suddenly felt as if she knew how Invisible Girl felt, for everyone to look pas her. Creati had been able to see herself in her car mirror, and nobody had impeded her in traffic, which meant that whatever quirk was set upon her didn't effect objects, but only her, Momo Yaoyorozu.

As soon as she saw that the villains had gas masks on, she made one for herself. She surged forward, creating extras for her nearby once-classmates. Creati was stunned when Icy Hot stood perfectly still and allowed himself to be injured. The white-hot fire would have killed anyone else. Though he was rooted to the spot, Icy Hot managed to collect what few senses he had and counter the heat that would slowly but surely damage even his body. Icy Hot lifted his left hand and used his father's ultimate move – Flash Fist. Not only was he able to get the white flames away from him, but he knocked his assailant off her feet.

Creati shoved the masks into her friends' hands. In Overkill's she left a note. For fear that her own name may be forgotten, she stole her teacher's identity.

 **You're fighting Jibe. Her quirk is Pyromania, so don't trust your emotions.**

 **Flint**

Overkill read the note and tossed it to the ground. He relayed the information and tossed the masks to his friends. The group was far too befuddled by the ivory embers and their moodswings to give the random delivery much thought, despite the fact that Flint was nowhere in sight.

"Almost too little too late, Flint," Overkill declared with a scowl. For a moment, the white fire around them puttered out of existence. With the smell of it gone and their new gear in place, the sidekicks were able to trust themselves again. Overkill shoved on his mask, not overthinking its arrival, all thanks to the taboo quirk on Creati. He stepped closer to Jibe (OC), his palms filled with explosions.

Alien Queen, Red Riot, and Chargebolt resumed the battle around them. Now that they could trust their heads, they found that they could take on the Villain Alliance's newest goons with ease. In less than a minute, they were unconscious and shoved into a visible part of the hall, where reconnaissance heroes would grab them as the raid progressed.

"Any last words, Scum?" Overkill said as he rounded on Jibe. Though the blast had been impressive, she seemed to have only been knocked off her feet. If only the agents still existed, Overkill would have murdered her in a heartbeat.

At the inquiry, she snorted. "Yeah. Get a real job."

She threw her arm back to prepare for another blast. Even without scent to create the mania, she still had a fire quirk. Only a wisp of smoke escaped the tips of her fingers before Creati knocked her out. From the team's point of view, Jibe dropped for no reason whatsoever.

Only seconds passed before Grape Juice (Mineta) and Tentacole (Shoji) rounded the corner at the most perfect moment. "Hey, you guys are done fighting, right?" Grape Juice asked in the midst of his approach. "Tentacole said you looked like you won."

"Yeah, we're through," Red Riot said through the mask, still confused by what had happened.

Icy Hot had his own theory. "Fire users are prone to overheating," he explained. "She should be out for a while."

Grape Juice had no reason to doubt it. Overkill took off his mask and shoved it at Grape Juice. "Just in case she wakes up, wear this. If she lights a fire, she can fuck with your emotions." Grape Juice nodded and pulled a sticky ball off his head. He shoved each of the captives' palms on the purple sphere, trapping their hands more effectively than hand cuffs.

The five fighters progressed through the tower, where they encountered very little trouble. Like at the USJ attack, the Villain Alliance was stuffed full of green members and only a few problematic warriors. Battle Fist (Kendo) and Death Arms moved the fallen foes from the Villain Tower. Less than an hour within the onslaught, over three quarters of the Villain Alliance was soundly defeated.

* * *

The moment Kota felt rumble, he suspected something extreme was about to happen. A quick peek at a news channel told him that the heroes went in droves to the Villain Tower. He and some other kids took off to a back hall for many reasons. Firstly, none of them wanted to be used as bait. Secondly, the orphans didn't want to be affiliated with the villains. Lastly, and most importantly, none of them wanted to be locked up because they'd been coerced into becoming slaves.

Battle Fist and Death Arms saw the children gather and approached with hands raised in surrender. "Don't worry, guys. You're alright now." She promised them. The fact that she was a beautiful woman stilled many of the boys and won a wary trust from a few of the younger girls. "Nobody's in trouble. We want to help you find your families," she promised. Battle Fist squatted and held out her palm, which stretched harmlessly to its full size. "Now who wants to go for a ride?"

Kota only went with Battle Fist because he remembered her from the training camp. After all he'd lost in the world, he clung to a hope that maybe he could at least find Deku.

* * *

Phantom Thief's laughter ceased the moment he felt the tower rumble. He stumbled forward, as did everyone else in the room. Lemillion took the opportunity and elbowed Phantom Thief in the back of the head; rendering him unconscious and also causing a blank slate for the copied quirks.

Deku darted the instant Phantom Thief was down. He smashed his way through the walls and floors like a human bullet. In a matter of seconds, he was in the room with All For One and La Brava. While the former was unsurprised, the latter squeaked and stumbled out of her chair.

All For One appeared amused at the dramatic entry. There were only a few cameras in the control room, but All For One was beyond wishing for his ordeal to be filmed. While he had no idea why Phantom Thief had paused in his assault, All For One wouldn't let his irritation show. A tendril moved from his back to shove into La Brava. He activated her quirk, boosting all of his abilities to even more impressive limits.

"Since you're my son, I'll allow you to fight at your fullest capabilities."

He hadn't even finished speaking before he teleported, invisible, within arm's reach of Deku. La Brava's tendril remained whole and attached, keeping his booster activated. "Here's the quirk you were born with."

* * *

 _Whenever possible, I tried to use hero names. Sometimes there were none available, so I apologize for the smattering of names that broke through. If you have any unanswered questions left, (except for Doctor X's information), drop them in the reviews and I'll be sure to get them. I'm fairly certain I've gotten everything or have done a setup into the next chapter. My apologies for name dropping so many characters, but I felt like I wanted to drop some in to eliminate any angst against my mainly OC villains. Sorry for killing so many off earlier in the story._


	38. The Lost Quirk

**The Lost Quirk**

* * *

Deku never thought he'd be like Shigaraki in any sense. In the moment where All For One appeared so closely to him, Deku felt an overwhelming hate fill every fiber of his being. He mixed his stockpiled strength with Nana Shimura's disintegration and delivered what would have been a devastating, decaying punch to the center of All For One's chest. His arm flew through empty air as the man became incorporeal for all but his hand. Deku felt the new quirk enter his body. Though it was the first time in years that he'd had it, the quirk was completely familiar to him.

Darkness and feathers filled the room. Tsukuyomi and Hawks arrived, ready to offer their abilities. Hawks had his feather-blades at the ready. Dark Shadow roared, filled with Tokoyami's rage. It searched for All For One. Dimly, Deku could hear a voice in the darkness. " **Destroy** ," it snarled, speaking through Tokoyami's mouth.

As powerful as All For One may be, all they had to do was weaken him and let Dark Shadow have him. Deku knew from his fight with Phantom Thief that All For One had a fire quirk. Before he could even consider using it, Deku used his weather quirk to create a torrential downpour.

La Brava wailed as her precious computers, alarms, and years of work were fried before her very eyes. She couldn't stop her forced love from boosting All For One. "No! All my work! Stop!" She begged, speaking fondly as she stared at the countless electronics that had taken a part in recording murder.

Sickened, Lemillion knocked the small woman out, if only to spare the heroes' ears.

"Lemillion, watch out!" Hawks called the moment his feathers warned him.

All For One's invisible fist narrowly missed Lemillion's face, who dodged at precisely the right moment. The large man chuckled and continued to hone in on the non-sensory type hero. Tsukuyomi merged as one being and flew at All For One with incredible speed. Though he wasn't as fast as Deku, it was enough to make All For One employ his metal quirk, which Shigaraki had stolen from Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu years before.

Lemillion looked at the outline of All For One in the rain. With metal presumably over the man's entire body, Lemillion could hear the attacks as well. All For One used Ragdoll's tracking quirk to keep tabs on the heroes. He became so acutely aware of their movements that he was able to dodge, even as they all began to come at him. Hawks feinted a blow straight at All For One's heart to keep his focus, while Lemillion went for the legs.

"What's wrong, Deku? You can't use your quirk?" All For One taunted. He lifted his hand at Hawks, as if he were going to wave, and moved it easily away. Since nothing seemed to have happened, Hawks didn't think to dodge. A split second later, his comrades were littered with his corpse. Feathers flopped worthlessly to the ground. Exploded muscles looked like nothing more than hamburger meat with splinters of bone. "Don't you hate me, Son? Come and try to stop me."

The goading mixed with Hawks' remains infuriated him. A quirk-activation tendril stabbed Deku in the gut and forced him to relieve All Might's death again and again. Deku didn't know if he was trapped for seconds or hours, but he heard a sudden howl of pain.

Lemillion had grabbed one of Hawks' blades and cut off All For One's right hand, causing the quirk activating tendril to fall with it. Deku felt his father's blood sprinkle over his face and hair. He drug himself to the present and conjured the black whip. With it, he concentrated an inferno around his right arm, along with the fury of a storm, and disintegration. If they weren't in a building, he would have put in a million percent of One For All in a United States of Smash, but such an attack would be irresponsible in a building with any number of people above or below him. Through his arm, Deku channeled his empathy and dream-walking. When his punch smashed against All For One's face, Deku read All For One's being for the first time. In it, found a horrific, uncaring being. Once he was sure he had destroyed All For One's face once more and that his mind was held captive, Deku stumbled back.

"Now, Tsukuyomi!" Deku called.

Dark Shadow descended upon All For One, dragging the nightmare into an abyss.

* * *

By the time Overkill's group reached La Brava's old control room, Dark Shadow had finished with All For One, who lay unconscious on the ground. Phantom Thief had an easy job following Deku and his friends' trail of destruction. He climbed up the rubble of a broken wall and headed to the scene of his father's demise. Tsukuyomi covered All For One's limp, broken body in a cloak of darkness, effectively immobilizing and holding him.

Lemillion saw Phantom Thief and scowled warningly.

"Relax," Phantom Thief said in a tone so condescending that it hardly seemed reassuring. "He's out. I'm done. I don't fight for the losing team."

In his moment of indecision, Deku piped up. "He's telling the truth," the hero said dully, his eyes focused on Hawks. Deku looked down at his hands. Slowly, he stretched out his palm, ready to touch the goo that had once been a famous hero.

"Midoriya, stop," Tsukuyomi said firmly, even as he choked on a deep sorrow of his own. "Nobody should try to bring back the dead."

Deku dropped to his knees, his mind unable to process such a rapid change of events.

Lemillion kept an eye on Phantom Thief, his suspicion as bright as a beacon to Deku's empathy.

"Monoma," Deku said quietly. "Why didn't you ever try to kill us?" During the battle, there had been plenty of openings and opportunities for Phantom Thief to land devastating blows.

With no quirk but his own, Phantom Thief strode calmly to Hawks' feather blade. Although Deku knew what would happen next, he was in too much of a state of shock and too caught up in his own wonder to stop Monoma, as was Tsukuyomi. La Brava stirred and Lemillion turned to tend to her, as he figured Deku had a handle on things.

"Because I didn't want to," Phantom Thief stated matter of factly. Thanks to that very particular sequence of events, Neito Monoma plunged a blade through his father's brain. "Stupid class A. You can't do anything right."

"Why did you do that?!" Lemillion shouted, infuriated that at long last they had captured All For One, All Might's killer, and justice hadn't been served. He swiftly darted through Phantom Thief, only becoming corporal long enough to knock Hawks' bloodied blade from the young man's hand.

Phantom Thief stared down at the corpse even as the muscles began to stiffen. "I laughed during our fight because I saw myself doing that. He just wasted the past week with me trying to make me his little puppet, but I'm no side character."

Deku felt One For All fade at an alarming rate. With the last embers of his power, he strode over to Hawks' massacred body and restored it to a whole state. Despite the earlier warning, his intention had never been to raise the dead. He wanted the man to have a funeral worthy of a hero.

He didn't feel empty with the absence of One For All. His quirk was as versatile as he could have wished and beyond his wildest dreams. Though he couldn't be the indisputable first with it, Deku knew he could remain a respected hero.

Deku had been so focused on his task that he didn't notice Phantom Thief at first. When he saw his half-brother with his hand out, Deku hesitated for only a moment before he took it.

They stood facing one another, each brother noting how completely different they were. "Telekinesis," Phantom Thief mused. "Nice."

* * *

Flint gave Zeus to Midnight, who filled the stone casket with sleeping gas before she'd even think of relocating him. The high school teacher looked at the twenty-odd year old man and licked her lips. "Maybe I'll take this one home with me," she cooed, her eyes narrowed playfully.

"Isn't he a little old for you?" Flint teased.

Midnight grinned and stepped aside, leaving Flint plenty of room to slide gravel under the unconscious man and float him to a nearby truck half-filled with likewise unconscious villains. "What can I say? He wears his age well." Once every one of the cots were full, Midnight climbed in and waved farewell. Of course, she'd put herself in the van full of men.

Flint smirked, despite herself, and turned for the Villain Tower. A place forbidden to her only hours ago was now in the process of being decontaminated. She reformed her gravel carpet and dove down flights of stairs without so much as breaking a sweat. Using her basic tracking knowledge, she was able to tell which areas were congested with traffic and what places seemed relatively untouched.

With only a handful of sand, she bypassed the security code and jammed the system. With a blast of fire, she busted the handle and was able to break through.

Red Riot stood in the doorway, his hardened body crossed in a defensive position, ready to take the first hit. "Hey!" He called, pleasantly surprised. His hardening dropped at once. He dropped his voice and explained quietly. "Don't get too much closer. They're dealing with the bodies."

Flint's head turned so quickly that she felt like she nearly snapped her neck. "Whose?"

"All For One's and Hawks," Red Riot answered, sounding disappointed by both, but infinitely moreso by the latter.

Overkill's group had merged with Deku's. Flint easily caught the smell of blood, despite Icy Hot's best efforts to freeze and mask the All For One's reek. Flint stepped past her nephew, only briefly touching her hand to his shoulder in a brief gesture of comfort.

Her turquoise eyes slid to Hawks, who was covered with a shroud of darkness, as he was held by Tsukuyomi. Tears dripped down the young man's beak. Both Tsukuyomi and Hawks had been given to the agents as children. Their bond carried through intern year and deepened with every battle faced and triumph gained.

 _At the end of the day, their friendship amounted to nothing._ The bleak thought came unbidden. She stared at the agent's body, unable to find a cause of death. Tsukuyomi trembled with the weight of his loss, even as his arms clutched at his dearest friend.

"Loss never gets easier," Flint said to Tsukuyomi quietly, keeping their discussion private. She bent to retrieve a nearby feather and meshed her quirks to encase it in a small glass medallion. "Keep yourself busy, and eventually you learn how to live with it."

Flint glanced to Overkill, who refused to meet her eye. Likewise, Deku had too many thoughts to want to take part in a conversation. Though she felt sorrow as well, Flint was overjoyed to see so many of her students alive, even if they weren't well at the moment.

The enlarged group took the stairs together. Flint, Lemillion, and Phantom Thief covered the rear. As they walked, Phantom Thief cast a sidelong glance at Lemillion. Flint caught the request. "You think you can let us talk, Mirio?"

Lemillion frowned thoughtfully. He'd been tricked by Toga's clones before and wanted to make sure he was speaking to a real person. "How do I know you're really you?"

Flint took that as enough of a request to shoot a fireball at him. Lemillion chuckled and walked to join the group. "You can't fake that Todoroki glare."

Deku levitated the ice-incased corpse of All For One only a few meters from Phantom Thief and Flint's faces. It was there that the young former-agent told his old mentor of his week with All For One, including Shinso's death. For once, Flint was at a loss for words. She offered no comfort, but a simple statement. "We'll figure it out."

* * *

In the hours that followed, Ingenium rushed the villains to several officers and backup heroes, who took them to containment facilities with far superior specs than an average prison. The sensory type heroes went through every corner of the building and made sure each and every being was out. After that, detectives and intelligence operatives walked through to collect anything they needed as evidence.

Flint and Aizawa went through with the last group, Flint to destroy anything related to the agents, and Aizawa to help, as he was determined that the agents should become an extinct breed. Aizawa lifted his hand, signaling for them both to stop and gestured subtly with his head to the left.

Needing no more cue than that, Flint released a smattering of to the seemingly ordinary wall beside her. A loud shout called out in response, "hold your fire!" A face popped out through the gap between the drywall.

Flint raised her brows, surprised that the sensory types had missed him. "What the hell?"

Aizawa nudged a tiny, nearly invisible seam with his foot. "It was a hunch."

They both eyed the satchel at his side. "Alright, Rat. Are we going to do this willingly or unwillingly?"

"You and Katsuki spend far too much time together," Aizawa stated flatly.

Doctor X hoped he could win some leverage. "I didn't deploy the Nomu!" He blurted out. Though it had been an accident, he would bargain to get his inevitable sentence reduced, if not removed. "I'll give you my full cooperation, information, as well as Nomu control for my freedom."

Flint reached her hand out expectantly. "Your cooperation would certainly help in your plea. What exactly is in here?"

Doctor X grinned through his mustache.


	39. Defining the Lines

**Defining the Lines**

* * *

On the day of Hawks' funeral, the renowned hero was sent off with offerings from his millions of fans. Neito awoke, planning to attend with some sort of police escort, when he received disturbing news from his jailer.

"You've made a lot of enemies, kid," the guard said as he showed Neito a photo. In it, his mother was clearly recognizable. As was the deep slit across her throat. His message complete, the man tossed the polaroid into Neito's cell.

Overkill and Flint were assigned as Neito's escorts. Kamui and Mount Lady had become inseparable, so Shoto left to escape the weeping. He secretly dreaded the funeral, as he didn't do well with tears. To make the mission slightly more incognito, the trio wore street clothes, instead of their hero costumes. The blonde was brought out with cuffs and put into the back seat of a borrowed car.

While Flint rolled down the passenger window and thanked the officer and set up a drop-off time, the young men got straight to work with their commentary.

"Oh great, Bakugo's driving," Neito taunted.

"Like hell I'm letting a woman drive," Katsuki spat back.

"Then why aren't you the passenger?" It was a miracle that Neito could be let out, even for the funeral of a friend. It had only been a few days after the attack on the Villain's Tower. Neito smirked as he stared at a vein throbbing in Katsuki's head. Flint rolled up her window and Katsuki began to drive off.

"Turn left," Neito instructed. "We're going to 1234 Elm Street," the young man stated.

Shoto's brows lifted. "The crematorium?"

"How the fuck do you know that?" Katsuki asked with open revulsion.

"That's where Flint and I dropped off All For One's body." Shoto stared at Neito in open confusion. "Why do you want to go there?"

Neito didn't want to tell them about his mother or his supposed new enemies. "I want to see the fucker burn."

Katsuki lingered at parking lot's exit. Right would take them to the funeral. Left was to All For One. He waited for Flint to make a decision, as she always did. "Well?" He asked in the extended silence that followed.

Flint did her best to keep a straight face. Though today was a somber occasion and she mourned for the death of her colleague, the question was so ridiculously stupid. "If our options are going to an open funeral full of crying and hugging or a vengeful trip to a crematorium, where do you think-"

Much to everyone's relief, Katsuki peeled out, his smoking tracks pointed left.

Flint greeted the crematorium technician with familiarity. The old man had been a friend of the agents for years. "I needed to check something on All For One," Flint said conversationally.

The man nodded once, understanding, and led them to the proper room. "I was going to do his cremation today."

Neito spoke up. "I want to do it."

The old man didn't seem very surprised. After all he'd encountered in life, the request wasn't too odd. "Fine," he complied, "but don't tell anyone."

Shoto knew he would have been uncomfortable at Hawks' funeral, but he wasn't sure how to feel in such a sketchy situation. He walked with the others to the room where All For One's body lay. As he was the last, he closed the door behind him.

"Bakugo, give me your quirk," Neito demanded.

Flint wasn't very girly, but the idea of an exploding corpse was enough to make her face pinch in disgust. "A sicko like you belongs in jail."

"Thanks to him, I'll most certainly be going back there," Neito said, gesturing to All For One.

Katsuki lifted his hand and pointed it at Neito's face. "If you touch me, fucker, I'll blow _you_ up."

Though it took him a minute to cooperate, Neito agreed to use Flint's quirk.

While Flint she had new, all too personal reasons to want to burn All For One's body, she had other ways to cope. Neito did not. Flint stood off to the side while the young man watched the body burn. Even after the last ash had crumbled, there wasn't a hint of remorse on the copy cat's face. The group left in silence.

* * *

Thirteen sucked the Villain Tower into her black hole. While Deku, Tsukuyomi, and Lemillion were praised for their acts against All For One and Hawks was universally lamented, nobody could agree on what was to be done with Phantom Thief.

The very moment All For One died and Deku felt One For All begin to fade. He took a somewhat unwilling break from hero work as he settled into the routine of court proceedings. Dozens of character witnesses were called for Neito Monoma, who was charged with the first-degree murder of All For One.

Kendo spoke fervently on his behalf. "Neito would do _anything_ to protect his friends."

Midnight showed the texts that had been sent to her. "I couldn't read these. It was almost as if they didn't exist. Even if he had jumped out in the streets naked and called out for help, nobody would have heard him."

Izuku informed the court of Hisashi Midoriya. "The quirk was called taboo. It allowed someone to not exist in the minds of anyone else. You forgot them so completely that you didn't even want to think of them or anything relating to them."

Momo added her own opinion. "When I was under the quirk, it was almost as if I were invisible. If I wrote or did anything, it made no difference. I wrote a note and signed it in my instructor's name and my classmates could read it."

Crime fell to a standstill as the nation waited for the final verdict on the drawn-out case.

"Neito Monoma, I strip you of your hero's license and sentence you probation for the duration of your life." Neito accepted his sentence with a calm smile. He'd kept his feelings hidden before. Why stop now?

The law changed. With it, a large portion of worries were put at ease. Quirks could be used in self-defense, but only until a hero's arrival. The public was reminded that if they saw someone in danger and no hero around, they were not to turn a blind eye, but were encouraged to call for help. In addition to 119, a dial to 753 would reach a hero dispatcher. Though the changes were relatively minor, they were a start

Thanks to Momo's message to the agents, the one and only branch of corrupted law enforcement was entirely disbanded, all under the assumption that her father had done it. Though Momo told Ken the truth, he insisted to anyone who asked that he had made the orders.

* * *

Doctor X admitted to aiding All For One in finding suitable mothers for his children. "Our first step was to look over the quirk database. Sometimes we'd examine heroes, though mostly we kept to nobodies or hero drop-outs. If the girl had a man in her life, All For One would alter his appearance and impregnate her. Nobody was any wiser even when their children came out looking a bit different from their supposed fathers." He was calm and perfectly unrepentant as he spoke. "I, as well as my father before me, have aided All For One with generations of producing the best possible quirks. I can tell from birth what a child's quirk will be. After I reported it to All For One, he would decide whether or not the baby was worthy to inherit it, or if he would take the quirk. I presented fake X-rays to all of All For One's quirkless children. There are rare cases, such as Mrs. Midoriya and Mrs. Monoma, where All For One used his taboo quirk. Sometimes, he felt it was necessary for mothers to raise his children without the interference of another man, so he'd trick them into thinking they were married, despite not seeing their husbands for years at a time.

"We'd take a woman, place a taboo on her so nobody would go looking, extract some eggs, then place them in a surrogate if something came to be. The last child was sired eight years ago."

In the end, Doctor X was charged with hundreds upon hundreds of crimes. No amount of cooperation could save him from his alleged and confirmed kidnappings, aides to rape, performances of unconsented surgery, or dozens of murders of the surrogate mothers. His sentence was set to fifteen lifetimes in incarceration with no opportunity for parole.

That was the public statement.

Doctor X was never sent to a prison, though he was introduced to a secure facility. His family's generations of work for All For One still offered him enough allies in high and important places. He had enough dirt on politicians and dozens of hidden troves full of blackmail. Next to All For One, Doctor X had enough dirt to ruin households, family names, and even question heroes.

In exchange for his silence, his powerful friends spirited Doctor X away to a new lab, where he'd be allowed to continue his work with Nomu, though he had to do so without ever seeing daylight again. His fame in the Medical Black Market had several morally corrupt doctors interested in human and quirk testing vying for internships.

For obvious reasons, no woman ever entered the secret lab. Illegal traffickers simply referred to Doctor X's lab as The Man Cave. Doctor X's Nomu were quietly moved to his location, so he might resume his tests upon them.

* * *

As soon as she'd learned that the agents had been under All For One's power, Flint left her post at UA and left to track down every agent she could remember. No agents would have trials for their affiliation, but if someone proved to be stuck in their murderous ways, Flint made it her goal to collect evidence against them for punishable charges.

* * *

Things were not well in the Yaoyorozu manor. Momo and her father had taken to shouting so regularly that her mother had gone to stay with friends. "What do you want me to do, Momo?" He screamed back one day, exasperated by her comments. "Every record is erased. There's no murder case without bodies, and trust me, we know how to get rid of bodies! Why don't you go yell at the Todoroki bitch for getting you involved in the first place?"

If she were more violent, Momo may have slapped him. "At least Flint recognizes she was wrong and is doing something about it. What have _you_ done?"

Ken had lived in grandeur for so long that he took it for granted. "What do you want me to do?" He asked, as if he couldn't possibly think of a thing to even his crimes.

"Sell the estate. Get a new job as a _real_ salaryman, and try having some decency."

Her father's stunned face was encouragement enough for Momo to continue.

"Give every cent you haven't earned yourself to charity. Do something to help the orphans that were found in the villain's tower. Pay for Monoma's court fees. Just get do _something_ to show you can be a decent human being!"

* * *

Couples and small families surged adopt the Villain Tower orphans. Kota watched with a scowl on his face as one after another, his comrades were scooped up into what could be their happily ever afters. He wouldn't admit it, but the tears in his eyes weren't from anger, but a deep sense of loss and humiliation. Nobody was coming for him. Just as he resolved himself to his fate of loneliness, something changed.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. "You're a hard guy to find," a voice joked. Kota spun, his suspicions conformed. Before him stood Izuku, as well as a short, round woman who looked like him. Inko shyly glanced over the angry looking boy. Pretending not to notice Kota's tears, Izuku smiled. "Want to be brothers?"

Kota tried to play it tough, but he failed horribly. He wept long and hard. Naturally, Inko rushed forward to comfort the sobbing boy. Izuku leaned down to join his family in the embrace. "It's okay, Kota. We're here."

* * *

Though things were awkward for the first few months, the young men and hostile child were kept in line by Inko's threat to stop cooking if they fought amongst themselves. Kota signed up for school and worked hard to catch up with his studies. Izuku and Neito trained, both of them using telekinesis, to provide insight on the most effective ways to use the quirk.

On the last day of his visit at home, Izuku knocked on Neito's door. After a brief 'come in' was called from the other side, Izuku practiced with his quirk and turned the knob without using his hands. "Did you want to get one more training session in?" Izuku asked, nervous to debut as the same hero as before, but with an entirely different quirk. His plan was to make a joke and avoid the question, the same as All Might had done.

"You've got it down," Neito said dismissively. He sat in his bed, his laptop pulled over his legs. "Besides, I'm applying for school."

"What for?" Izuku asked, intrigued.

Neito briefly glanced up. "I'm going to become a politician. I see several laws in need of revision and a society that needs a tweak," he said with a grin. "Don't worry, Deku. All good things."

Since Neito refused to train, Izuku and Kota walked down to the beach together. "When I first came here, there was so much junk that you couldn't even see the sand," Izuku said to a frowning, seemingly indifferent Kota. Izuku leaned down and picked up a discarded bottle. In his absence, the shore had become littered with trash once more.

Kota scowled. "No matter how much you clean, it'll always come back," the child huffed.

"You're right," Izuku agreed, considering his career as a hero. "But it's better than giving up."


	40. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

Zeus was taken to an interrogation room by a flat faced officer. Though he had plenty of opportunity to attack, the former villain didn't feel nearly as violent or moved to violence as he once had. Despite his good behavior, the accused had his hands bound. Rubber mitts were around his hands, with solid iron manacles wrapped around them. Thanks to the tight weld, his arms had to be held straight down to his lap. The policeman slid a door open and allowed Zeus to step inside. His measly eighteen month sentence had been lenient and almost entirely served.

Like his father, All For One, Zeus had messy blonde hair. His green eyes glanced expectantly around the room.

Jibe was already seated. Though her chin-length hair was smooth, she was also blonde with green eyes. "We're out tomorrow," she said needlessly to her brother.

"Finally," he sighed.

On the other side of the one-way glass, Tsukauchi read from Doctor X's files. "Sora Hashimoto. Quirks, lightning and magnetic control. Kana Hasimoto. Quirk, pyromania."

Flint stared at the children with the same debilitating confusion as the day she'd first read Doctor X's files. Tsukauchi glanced at the woman beside him. The twins' DNA matched hers and All For One's, yet she had no scars or blank periods of time in her past, which seemed to rule out surgeries or mind wiping. "What do you want to do?"

* * *

 _I just wanted to show that All For One is the sickest fucker to ever exist. Flint never even held hands with a guy, let alone hopped in bed with one. I might publish the far shorter, far more humorous story of these two integrating into society and trying to switch from team villain to team hero._

 _In case you didn't catch it, Doctor X's notebooks and USB drives were information on all of All For One's progeny and their quirks._

 _As for how the Hashimoto twins came to exist, that would be in the story, but it's now so far off cannon that I don't think anyone would really have an interest in the dramatic-comedy, so I might just keep it for myself. It chases Neito, Izuku, and Shoto as they all learn that they're one big happy family. Imagine that family reunion…sheezh!_

 _Now, for the final notes._

 _I agree that All For One's death was anticlimactic. There are two reasons! Firstly, to do it 'right', I would have had to overwrite every dodge and parry, every shift of the foot. There would have been pages worth of excruciating detail, while considering components of not one, but thirty-odd quirks that I had listed to him, alone. Then I'd have to factor in all of the listed abilities for Hawks, Tsukuyomi, personalities, and Deku's hypothesized abilities as well. I could have done it and written it to where I understood it, but with such an anal amount of attention for a week-long chapter and me ripping my hair out, that still doesn't guarantee that anyone else would have such an interest in reading it… so in the end I decided to keep it simple and not lose years of my life. Secondly, if All For One hadn't been murdered, it would not have been a simple end. In their own wrong way, I think the agents are right. Sometimes, there are people that the world is better off without._

 _I thought this story would go closer to fifty chapters, but it included writing some very depressing things. I could have done another gore chapter on just what happened to Neito's mother. He could have broken out of prison and gotten himself in some serious trouble. I even thought of doing Hawks' funeral, but it didn't match the mad-rush tones of my preferred finales._

 _As a sidenote, if you hate mad-rush finales, **never** read 'Mistborn' by Brandon Sanderson. That end was what got me hooked on doing one for this._

 _I'm ending my sprint finish with so many open ends because, quite simply, All For One's death doesn't solve that much. There are still evil people in the story that will exist on the smaller, less unified scale without him. The Doctor X family had all of his eggs in so many baskets. He and his father and grandfather had served All For One so loyally for generations, so of course he's got dirt on everyone and their dog. That's why he didn't try to even act repentant in his course case – he knew any sentence against him was bogus. If I do publish the story with the twins, Doctor X, his man cave, his God Complex, Monama's desire to become a politician, all are in there. Flint has have years of work ahead of her in checking up on or sometimes having to track down agents in hiding, so she would only barely be in the story. She ain't no helicopter mama._

 _Thanks for every dedicated reader who reached the bottom of this text wall, but Fencer gets about a billion thumbs up from me and Guest gets a million. I appreciate every intelligent review I get. Even if you followed or read in silence, you're still a trooper and I thank you._

 _Bye, y'all._


End file.
